


Go on now, go! Walk out that Door

by Corde_And_Dorme



Series: "That's it, we're out." [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And I mean... SLOW BURN, Be nice to your Padawan sir, But like the goodish kind of dark, Clones, Dark Anakin Skywalker, Dark Obi-Wan Kenobi, Drinking to Cope, Episode:Deception, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Force Bond, Gray Jedi, I wrote a fix for it, Jedi love their clones, M/M, Mace fakes his death, Obi-wan and Anakin leaving the Order, Obi-wan is sick and tired of this all, Politics, Realistic, SO, Seduction to the Dark Side, Set before the Hardeen arc, Slow Burn, The Song: I Will Survive, This is why we can't have nice things ANAKIN, aka TBD, future warnings, long fic, more fluffy than angsty, seeing as the council has made a stupid decision they are choosing to ignore it, weird Force shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2018-12-09 13:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 95,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11670474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corde_And_Dorme/pseuds/Corde_And_Dorme
Summary: Literally what the title implies: Obi-Wan finally has had enough.He packs his things, convinces a baffled but no less enthusiastic Anakin to come with him, and never looks back.(Or the one where Obi-wan and Anakin leave the Order of their own volition and fuck things up in a... decidedly new way.)





	1. At first we were Afraid, but not Petrified

**Author's Note:**

> I will fix the Star Wars universe if it kills me. And by Fix, of course, I mean I promise I won't ever tear these two idiots apart. Nope. Won't do it. Brotp for life, or hell, even partners for life. IDK. I haven't made it that far yet....  
> This was just basically me being like - what if Obi-Wan decided once and for all to save Anakin and himself the trouble? What if he told the Council to collectively go screw themselves with a lightbulb? One, single lone lightbulb?  
> Also... no clue why the song "I will Survive" keeps coming to me with this story but that's kind of the theme I'm going with a little... maybe... I don't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited [9/14/2017]: A few grammar mistakes. One instance of Jedi rather than Jedi Order

“I’m sorry... what?” Anakin stared at Obi-Wan’s back, mouth agape. The other man ignored him as he grabbed an assortment of tunics, leggings, and extra odds and ends to shove in his pack. Well, not shove. Obi-Wan had too much care for all his belongings to treat them so reckless. He was not packing lightly, though, either. When Anakin made no move to get up, Obi-Wan finally threw down the object he was holding to turn to him.

“We’re leaving,” Obi-Wan repeated.

Anakin knew, logically, that he had heard Obi-Wan, but he couldn’t have heard him correctly... Hell not five minutes ago he’d been blinking drowsily as he levered himself up on his elbows with a near frantic Obi-Wan hovering over him. He’d been sleeping and to be woken by Obi-Wan shaking him roughly, telling him they were leaving when Anakin knew he had two weeks of relaxation to look forward to was... mind boggling. A spark of anger at the council fizzled on his tongue and died a short life as he sighed.

Duty was duty.

And Anakin liked to bitch as much as Voss but he did what was required of him with little argument. Usually.

“... Another mission?” He grumbled with a yawn hidden behind his hand.

“No,” Obi-Wan said, and Anakin just picked up on the strain in its owner's voice. “We’re leaving.”

“Uhm... so not a mission but we’re leaving?”

“Yes,”

“Where are we going?”

“... Away.”

The entire time Obi-Wan just kept packing. His foot tapping out a rhythm that was one part anxious and one part restless. Anakin watched for a few seconds more before rising to the bait.

“Alright, alright.” He levered himself into a seated position as he ran a hand through his hair. With an amused huff, he started with the questions. “I’ll bite. We’re leaving what? Where? When?”

“The Order. Don’t know. And now.”

Anakin froze in a stretch.

 _I must not have heard that right,_ Anakin thought to himself with a snort and a wry grin. _Obi-Wan could not have_ _\- Oh it must be a joke!_

“Sure thing, Obi-Wan,” Anakin smiled at the elder man’s back, but that smirk quickly faded as he noticed Obi-Wan for the first time that morning. Really noticed his Master.

Years as his Padawan had taught him all his Master’s tells...

He was fully dressed in his travel clothes, hair and beard groomed, yet that was same-old-same-old, what really caught Anakin’s attention was the way his former master's shoulders were tensed, how he held himself loose as if awaiting an attack. As he turned to Anakin, the younger man noticed his eyes were crinkled at the edge, from exhaustion or stress or something else, Anakin hadn’t a clue but one thing was clear:

Something had changed.

_Where was his sure and sane Master? Where was his Master that could stand in front of the Council, or a death squad, in equal measure? In equal deference?_

“You’re not serious,” Anakin demanded with wide eyes.

Obi-Wan said nothing. Which clued Anakin in more than anything else.

“You’re serious?”

“I assure you,” Obi-Wan finally turned his eyes to Anakin’s. “I’ve never been so serious about anything in my life.”

Well. That was a loaded statement. Anakin frowned but watched as Obi-Wan continued packing.

Anakin said, “We’re leaving the Order.”

This time, a statement.

A tight nod greeted his incredulous tone.

Anakin knew Obi-Wan like he knew his mechanical hand, front-back, and side to side. Add the extra sense of the Force Anakin allowed his mouth to drop open as he straightened severely. Obi-Wan was being truthful, clear in the force like a beacon unlike anyone had been in a long, long time, not since the war had started.

“You’re serious.” He whispered with a blink.

“I am,”

Thinking quickly, Anakin tried to piece together the story, but he was woefully under-prepared. He didn’t have enough of the pieces. _Hell, he barely had a **piece**! What had happened? Who had pissed Obi-Wan off? Why was Obi-Wan deciding now, today, this morning, as the timeframe he was going to drop this bombshell? And most importantly... how long as Obi-Wan been thinking this?_

Only one question came out of Anakin’s lips in a burst that was nearly static and just as loud.

“What happened?”

Obi-Wan’s hand clenched. It didn’t escape Anakin's notice.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin warned, telling him without words that he would be getting the story - no shortcuts so help the Force.

Obi-Wan sighed as he collapsed onto the bed across from Anakin, he swiped a hand down his face and leaned his elbows heavily against his knees as he took a breath. It was the most aggravation Obi-Wan had shown to Anakin in months, he usually was better at hiding it. Even exhausted. Even starved. Wounded. Obi-Wan was a master for a reason. Controlling his emotions, his facial ticks, and the Force was like breathing to him. But this was Obi-Wan without his guard up. This was Obi-Wan trying to connect with Anakin and tell him all he could.

Anakin's heart clenched.

It had been a long time since he had been allowed his Master's confidence so surely. Him being on the Council had limited their conversations to missions, life, and the war at large.

“It started with the Council meeting this morning.” Obi-Wan began to explain. “As you know the Council and I have been having our... disagreements as of late but, for the good of the Republic, for the good of our Soldiers, I have held myself in check.”

Anakin nodded, of course, he knew this. He was one of the only people Obi-Wan would bitch to about the council. Well, after a few drinks, anyway. How the man could put those drinks away, too. Obi-Wan kept his true feelings close to his chest at all times, ready and unwilling to play such a card. Getting Obi-Wan to reveal anything was a test in patience like trying to endear oneself to a frightened Nundu, a large feline like mammal from Naboo.

“Today they crossed a line,” Obi-Wan admitted.

His Master looked his age then. Not old, but ancient, way past his years, past his prime. Anakin got up and crossed over to sit next to Obi-Wan. The elder wasn’t one for physical displays of affection but he didn’t protest Anakin pressing himself as close as he could, nor the hand on his forearm, nor the gentle fuzzy feeling Anakin sent him through the bond they shared. He didn’t so much as flinch. Anakin was worried. There were very few things that would set his Master off completely without recourse or a moment to argue.

“What’d they want you to do?”

Obi-Wan was silent for a long while.

Anakin, for once in his short life, realized this was a time to be silent as well.

When Obi-Wan started speaking, Anakin still wasn’t sure what was going on.

“They wanted to fake my death. I was to go undercover in the heart of the Separatists territory and find why they have been so silent. Espionage and spying.”

That seemed... _extreme_ but not horrible. Anakin frowned. It didn’t warrant a threat to leave the Order, but Anakin knew there had to be more to the story than that. Obi-Wan’s entire life was the Order. Duty above all else. To abandon that...

“Faking your death seems a little... excessive,” Anakin admitted but was still confused. It must have shown. “Doesn’t Voss do that on a weekly basis?”

That got a snort from Obi-Wan and a swift upturn of his lips, no more than a twitch. Obi-Wan gave Anakin a disapproving frown but Anakin just smiled wide. Shaking his head fondly, Obi-Wan patted Anakin’s hand, the cold sadness back in his Force presence.

It made Anakin itch to hug him.

Obi-Wan finally admitted. “You were not to know.”

Frowning, Anakin didn’t get it.

“Not know what?”

Obi-Wan looked at him then. His eyes sad, but furious, an equal measure of tightened control but leaking feelings.

“That I wasn’t really dead. They wanted your... _reaction_ to sell it. They wanted you to believe I had died.”

That made Anakin react.

Stiffening, he stared at Obi-Wan. The sheer magnitude of what Obi-Wan was confessing to him didn’t even breach his mind for the first second.

 _What?_ Anakin couldn’t help but think. _How? Why...?_

He would have been lead to believe that Obi-Wan was dead. A pit opened in his stomach as he realized that the Council had wanted to make one of his worst nightmares come to life. A recurring nightmare, even. He had dreamt of his Mother’s death, and Padme’s death, and Obi-Wan’s death in equal measure and each stabbed his heart with a rusty shiv. He imagined it from the Council's eyes and knew exactly what they wanted him to sell. Obi-Wan dead, assassinated, and him unable to do anything. Only to live on as Obi-Wan laid dead. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle it. Not alone.

_And who else would he have but his Padawan to turn to?_

“Fuck!” Anakin snarled as he stood quickly, yet he didn’t move. He just stared at the wall. Fists clenching around air. _Force_ . He would have reacted like a raging krayt dragon, like a mortally wounded bantha protecting the herd; just the thought of Obi-Wan dead was abhorrent to him. He shook it away like he would water on his cloak, dismissively.

Anakin had enough self-awareness to know he was quick to anger, prone to outbursts, and easily held grudges for the smallest of slights. It wasn't Jedi like, but Anakin wasn't always the best Jedi. He could imagine how he would react. Leaving the Order behind as he went on a mission for vengeance and swamped in anger, the Force sparking around him like the powerhouse he could be. He could image toeing the line of the dark-side, hearing the whispered sickly-sweet sound of pure-power, the power to do what needed to be done, for who needed to be avenged.

For all the Councils wisdom, they surely had to understand how close to Falling Anakin would shuffle towards.

_Did that mean... did that mean they just didn't care? Or did they think him strong enough? Or did... Force, they didn't trust him an iota._

Everything dawned on him in a second. The truth tore at him, but it was a healing kind of wound. It bled because it was fresh, but it would heal. And it would only heal because Obi-Wan had refused to betray his trust, had refused to force him to believe such a horrible, oily lie. Anakin was not currently contemplating murder and anarchy and Falling because of the simple matter of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan and his trust.

It hadn’t happened.

It wasn’t going to happen, either.

And Obi-Wan was the reason it wasn’t going to happen. His relationship with Anakin was too important. He had chosen Anakin over the Order.

Anakin felt himself soften up. Instead of betraying him, Obi-Wan had **chosen** him. Over the Order. Over his duty. Over... over the entire war effort.

“What’d you tell them?” Anakin asked, feeling unendingly tired.

Obi-Wan’s lips quirked. “I didn’t say anything. I.. I just left.”

He stared at Obi-Wan. Then, without prompting he started chuckling.

Anakin’s anger and ire was quickly smothered as he imagined the faces of every single being of the Council outlining their plan, watching Obi-Wan to see if their obedient little soldier would do as commanded, only to watch as Obi-Wan turned on his heel, giving them a good view of his backside, as he walked off. His chuckle turned into a laugh. He couldn’t _help_ it.

“Oh to be a fly on the wall of that meeting!” Anakin laughed uproariously as he collapsed onto the bed. “Oh, Force, I can just see Master Yoda’s face! And Mace’s!”

And he could. The pinched lips, the frown, the brow dip - unruffled but also angry. Maybe someone had called out to him, too, to try and stop Obi-Wan from leaving. Maybe they had all been so shocked, too shocked, to call out.

Obi-Wan chuckled as well, running a hand through his hair nervously.

Anakin allowed his laughter to trail off, but this was certainly going to stay with him for a long while yet - it would be a nice memory to visit when he was angry at the council. Which would happen in probably the next hour or two.

Then it was silent, but it was cracked.

The tension wasn’t as bad, it bled, the humor of the situation was quickly leaving, just as it had come, but Anakin felt that the proverbial door had been opened to better conversation. Like, conversation on what the hell Obi-Wan had meant about leaving the Order.

Anakin felt his heart skip a beat.

“And this was the last straw?” Anakin asked, not allowing that spark of hope within himself to be flattened.

Obi-Wan leaving the Order first... well, where one went the other had to follow. It was logic. It was mote. It was... it was destiny. Obi-Wan and Anakin; they were as near as one as two. Obi-Wan had understood that, just as Anakin did. There was no question that he wouldn't be leaving the Order with his Master. He had stayed because it was his duty to see the war through, but if Obi-Wan was giving them both an out...

Anakin would take it. He would take it and _run with it._

“It’s been building,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “First the clones. Finding them. _Using_ them. Then us taking positions as Generals in the Army. The losses we’ve suffered. I barely recognize the Order of my youth. I thought if we could just make it through the war...”

Anakin nodded. He understood, a little, perhaps less than everyone else, but he got it.

“It just never stopped. The death. The destruction,” Obi-Wan sighed hand dragging and mucking up his hair. “We’re only two people and everyone seems to think we can save everyone.”

“It’s was always just one more day, one more battle - but it never ended,” Anakin agreed. "We were promised an end, but there's no end in sight."

It wore on a person. That’s what they are. People. Just... people. People with a duty bigger than themselves that crushed them, that weighed on them, that suffocated them.

And it was about to stop for Obi-Wan and him right now. With a smile, Anakin finally unclenched his fist and started to put together his own pack. Life as a Jedi meant few personal items, but what he had was quickly tossed in a bag. The image of his and Obi-Wan after his braid was cut, a rock from Ryloth, an extra glove for his cybernetics.

“Alright, I’m in. When do we leave? Can I at least put together a letter of resignation?”

"Letter of... resignation?"

"Padme told me about those," Anakin said, with a careless shrug. "When you leave a place, you tell them on paper, for... administrative purposes? I don't know. I wasn't listening very well."

Anakin didn't mention the _reason_ why he wasn't listening very, well, perhaps later...

Obi-Wan blinked at him before grinning wryly. “I guess I should have asked you first rather than just coming in and telling you we were leaving?”

Anakin shrugged, unperturbed.

“You knew I’d say yes,”

" _Anakin_ ," Obi-Wan huffed, exasperated with his quick acceptance. "This is not a decision made lightly - "

" ** _Obi-Wan_** ," Anakin said in that same patronizing tone. Which shut the man right up. "Where you go, I follow."

"I do not want to push you into anything."

"You aren't."

Obi-Wan shook his head, but Anakin could tell that a weight at been lifted from his shoulders. This war had done a number on all of them, but it had especially been hard for the two of them. From the Council graduating Anakin without Obi-Wan’s permission to meddling in their missions and separating them, to giving him a Padawan without consultation, to this - it was time for them to take a break.

Especially if that break was forever.

“... So how do we do this?”

Obi-Wan blinked. “Uhm.”

“Tell me you have an idea, at least,” Anakin said, with a raised brow.

Obi-Wan at least had the decency to look ashamed.

“I have no idea.”

They stared at each other a moment before Obi-Wan blushed. Then Anakin busted a lung laughing incredulously. Obi-Wan following a scant second behind. Laughter filled the small cramped space as Master and Former-Padawan both doubled over, laughing until they had tears streaming down their faces. Had anyone been eavesdropping they would have assumed the amazing-duo was just releasing some tension after a battle.

Nobody knew what was going to hit them.

Nobody knew the effect this simple decision would make on the war effort.

Not until it was too late.

* * *

“So we’re in agreement?” Obi-Wan asked after they finished outlining their plan. Which was less a plan and more an ‘if they say this then we say this’ kind of thing. Their duo worked more as a... spring the trap kind of partnership rather than plan for all contingencies. And they didn’t have anything planned any further than going into the Council room and then leaving.

“We’re in agreement,” Anakin said, nearly bouncing out of his skin.

Anakin and Obi-Wan’s bags were packed, their quarters tidied up to the same blank slate it had been in when they’d moved in. It had only taken them an hour if that, but they were ready. All that was left was to actually go to the council and tender their resignation from the Order. Which Anakin was still a little fuzzy on how they were going to go about doing.

The last person to leave the Order had been Dooku after all.

That sent a shiver down Anakin's spine. Look at what had happened to him... the darkside had eaten the man alive. And there was still a Sith Master around somewhere if the rumors were to be believed.

“Are you ready?” Obi-Wan asked because, of course, he wouldn’t ask what he really wanted to.

_Are you okay with this?_

_Are you sure you’re okay with this?_

_Tell me in no uncertain terms you’re not just following me out of duty to your Master, Anakin._

_Tell me you want this as much as I do._

The younger man heard every uncertain note in his former master's voice and he allowed himself one deep breath, one last breath as a true Jedi before he turned to Obi-Wan and smiled. If there was one thing he was good at, it was recklessly going where no one had gone before. Especially with his Master at his back.

“I’m ready, Master.”

Obi-Wan nodded once, sharply, before exiting, Anakin in tow.

* * *

“Back I see, Obi-Wan, you are,” Yoda greeted them both with shrewd eyes that were nearly... sad. “Brought, too, Skywalker you did.”

Anakin wondered if he had seen this coming to pass. If he knew what they were here for. It was clear that the others didn’t. Not an angry or fearful or smug face was in the audience. Every single council seat, save Obi-Wan’s, was facing them with blank, Jedi clear-facades. They were Masters for a reason, they wouldn’t show their hands early.

“You told Anakin didn’t you, Obi-Wan?” Mace asked, somehow managing to sound even more disappointed than usual.

“I did,” Obi-Wan confirmed.

Narrowed eyes greeted that statement. Murmurs surrounding them both. Yet the Force was calm, no turbulent waters. Not yet. This was an option that everyone had known could happen. It was a slim chance of it happening, for they had asked more of Obi-Wan before, but this was the last straw? Lying to Anakin?

Anakin was glad this would be the last time they would be in these exact positions.

“I didn’t appreciate my feelings and emotions being used like that,” Anakin told them, his voice curt. “Or **planned** to be used in such a way.”

“Skywalker, we are trying to end this war as quickly as we can,” Saesee Tiin said, peaceably. “It was decided as the best course of action. If there had been a better person for the job, we would have chosen them.”

There was a beat of silence.

“And lying to me was the only way to sell it?” Anakin demanded, feeling anger spark and quickly releasing it into the Force. He felt a little bereft without it, but clearer headed.

“It was the best course of action.” He was told.

This would be the point where either Anakin or Obi-Wan took that as the only apology they were owed and then it would be onto other business. Not today, of course. Today Anakin and Obi-Wan stood side-by-side and said not a word.

The first flickering of unease came from their right, but by then it was too late.

“I - We have put up with much this council has decided,” Obi-Wan began, too good to sneer, but Anakin knew his inner-sneer was raging. “I have stood by while we have gone to war. While we have used clones, nothing more than _slaves_ , to fight our battles for us.”

“That’s not true!” Someone cried, but if Kenobi heard he did not stop.

No one else interrupted, and Anakin knew that was because they agreed. Even if it was just a little bit. Deep down the Council knew their directions were not right.

“I have allowed Anakin and I to be sent on separate mission when everyone in this council room knew the probability of success would have been far better had we both gone. I allowed you to knight my Padawan early because I felt it was a necessary evil. I have allowed you to sway me to your thinking, I have allowed you to do what you must, because we needed to win this war. But we haven’t won this war. We aren’t any closer to winning this war then we were a month ago, a year ago.”

Obi-Wan let that stand for half a second. The statement he spoke the truth.

“We have fallen far from where we should be. As Jedi. As citizens of the Republic,” Obi-Wan proclaimed. “I cannot in good consciousness, nor with the blessing of the Force, continue.”

Anakin felt the room’s temperature drop. Watched the flicker of emotions crack through masks nigh-impenetrable. Saw disbelief, saw sadness, saw fear, saw confusion. It blossomed across faces like a slap. Quick, fast, one blink and he would have missed it.

“As of this moment, I am renouncing my vows for my council seat.”

The council looked pained, but nothing compared to when Obi-Wan continued. Yoda looked even older than before, sinking into himself as he sat silent and listened.

“Furthermore, as of today," Here, Obi-Wan took a calming breath. "I am leaving the Jedi Order.”

Though all present had understood what was coming, the gasp of disbelief as Obi-Wan followed through with his threat rippled through the crowd. Yoda’s ears had drooped. Mace’s hands on his chair dug deep in the steel. Depa stared, mouth agape. And many more of the Council sat in shock, the wave of confusion in the Force would have sent a lesser Jedi to their knees. But Obi-Wan and Anakin were exceptions to the rule; always.

Then, nearly as one, they all looked to Anakin.

Were they really going to ask him if he was going to stay? He had followed Obi-Wan all the way here.

Yet, still. It was Depa who asked, voice faint.

"And you, Skywalker? What do you say?"

“Where Obi-Wan goes, I follow.”

Her eyes darkened and Anakin felt a flash of pain, almost as neatly slicing as betrayal, that was quickly released into the Force.

It was the last straw. The mood in the room was nearly chaotic. In the span of five minutes, they had lost two of their most accomplished Jedi Knights, so Anakin understood it would be. But this was almost suffocating. Obi-Wan took a step back from where he had stepped forward to speak and was now side by side with Anakin. The distance between the Council and further together made the emotions... shareable.

It was Mace who rose, the only one who seemed able.

“This is preposterous Obi-Wan,” The man said. “You’ve disagreed with the Council before. You are angry. Please reconsider.”

“I’ve reconsidered too many times to back off this time.”

Mace seemed to understand Obi-Wan wasn't the weak link.

“And what of your Padawan?”

Anakin at least had an answer for this. He had thought of it last minute, but he had sent her a message telling her what was happening. It was only right.

“Ahsoka is a fine Padawan, she can make her own decisions,” He told the Council. “I’ve informed her of my decision. If she wants to follow she is more than welcome. I would hope that her Master's decisions would not be held against her should she want to continue training and come back to join the Jedi.”

It wasn't a threat, but Anakin knew it was a promise. If the Council so much as tried to use his Padawan as a bargaining chip they'd see the Anakin Skywalker the rest of the world saw.

Ki-Adi-Mundi stood. Mace inclined his head, allowed him the floor.

"Do you do this out of spite, Obi-Wan or to truly be heard? Because we are listening. What would you have us change, to have you stay?"

Anakin wondered, faintly, if they even hoped to keep him. If they thought Obi-Wan was the catalyst. If Obi-Wan taking back his words would make him want to stay too. It hardly mattered, but Anakin realized it did. They had betrayed him before they had even consciously decided it.

Palatine's words echoed in his head: The Jedi Order doesn't appreciate you, dear boy, and I find that a gross injustice.

His friend was right.

"You think I have made this choice on a whim?" Obi-Wan asked, with an amused upturn of his lips. Anakin recognized it for his politician-face. The one he wore when he was dealing with a particularly nasty person who refused to see reason. "You think I have not been meditating on this decision, begging for a different option, for a different fate?"

The council room was once again silent.

"I did not make this decision now, I made it long ago. I am just finally acting on it." Obi-Wan said, bone weary, once again. "There is nothing you could say to make me change my mind, no."

Depa called out, this time. “There nothing we can do to convince you to stay?”

Anakin realized it was aimed at him. He jolted back to the conversation and blinked owlishly.

"You can hardly imagine I'd stay without Obi-Wan?"

No, they all seemed to concede. They hadn't.

"Nothing, hmm?" Yoda questioned, for the first time. "Much anger I feel in you. Hasty, this decision is. Sleep on it, you should."

It was good advice, and had Obi-Wan been less tired he might have taken it. As it was, Obi-Wan had made up his mind and wasn't about to backtrack now.

Obi-Wan’s mouth was a firm line. “No, I’m afraid not Master Yoda.”

“Where will you go?” Depa asked those deep soulful eyes of hers saddened.

Anakin was the one to answer with a wry grin. “You don’t need to be a Jedi to be a General in the Republic army.”

"You wish to continue in your capacity as Generals?" Mace questioned. There was a feeling of relief, as if they really thought they would shirk on all their duties so easily.

Anakin shrugged. “We’ve already discussed staying on for the war, but we do not want to be associated with the Jedi Order any longer.”

Obi-Wan nodded with him.

“This was the last straw.”

There was nothing new to say. Nothing that had not already been hashed out. Nothing they can take back. 

 _ **:Off we go, I think,:**_ Obi-Wan sent to Anakin. He sent an affirmative and after waiting a moment, they turned away. In that eerie synchronicity that had created their legacy, they walked away, backs to everything they had known. One foot in front of the other until they were outside the room and the door closed behind them with an ominous whoosh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also: I promise nothing about updates. As I write I will update but I am a HORRIBLE person, so, just know that. I will try to update while the bug had bit me but I won't prmise anything.


	2. I’ve Got All My Life to Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan and Anakin left the Order and now, first things first, they have to find somewhere to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So - This chapter is an oddity. I normally wouldn't post this close together, but I have this chapter done and a kind of outline ready and well... The reviews and support for this story really made me smile :) So I thought, what the hell, they deserve it! Also this chapter is... weird. I promise there are reasons for it, but like, I don't know WHERE the hell this entire concept came from. Maybe it was all that ice-cream I ate......  
> There also may be the 'Scene' that started this all posted as a companion piece.  
> p.s. - This is the cookie Thead ;D  
> p.p.s. I love suggestions and will do my best to argue and fit them into my plot so please review!

Hands on his hips, Anakin breathed in.

That was... Anticlimactic, to say the least. But good. Freeing. Anakin was so used to the fighting, struggling. Just being allowed to leave a room without having to brandish his lightsaber was nearly as unsettling and soul-sucking as actual real, blood, sweat, and tears battle.

Obi-Wan stood with him on the platform they waited on outside of the Temple grounds. The mood was... triumphant and somber. Quiet and unsettling. Something missing but something replacing it. This was a step, a giant leap, and both knew it was the right choice - they just had to remember that in the coming months.

“Well...” Anakin said, waiting for Obi-Wan to turn to him. “They didn’t _physically_ try to stop us.”

Obi-Wan sighed.

“That’s because they didn’t take us seriously.”

ANakin privately thought they never took him seriously but continued to listen as Obi-Wan continued.

“I assume they think we’re being cute... and that we’ll be back. The Jedi are all we have known, after all, to leave them behind is... well, for many it’s not even an option. So they think we’ll be back because that is what any other being would do.”

Anakin raised a curious brow. “ **Will** we be back?”

With a small smile Obi-Wan shook his head.

“Perhaps some day, but not as part of the Order.”

“You know,” Anakin mused. “To argue semantics: Does this make us just plain old Force users? Are we still Jedi?”

Obi-Wan stiffened before sighing, musing up his hair further, looking like he usually did after battle.

“Being a Jedi is more than submitting to the Council, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told him, warmly. “We follow the Force as we have been trained to, and anything else is...”

“Nonsense?” Anakin offered with a bantha eating smile.

Obi-Wan huffed at the word usage but nodded in agreement. “Nonsense.”

They stood for a moment waiting for transport.

Transport to wherever they wanted to go.

Which... well, they should probably actually decide where that was.

“We didn’t think this through,” Anakin mused.

A flare from Obi-Wan’s side of their bond made him feel tingly.

“No, we did not.”

Because they had nowhere to go. Sure, they were still Generals in the Republic Army and if they were to go to the Senate they would put them up in some kind of lodgings, but at the moment they had nowhere to call home. Perhaps, they never really had, Anakin thought to himself looking at Obi-Wan and feeling something flare at the thought of him. What had Padme once said... Home was where the heart was?

Looking at Obi-Wan Anakin decided she was right.

“At least we have each other, Master,” Anakin said, softly, looking over the bustling city they called home. Trying not to think of the Temple to their back nor the friends they were leaving behind. They would keep their troops, which was both a blessing and a curse. The storm troopers were theirs in every way that mattered, which always struck Anakin as particularly wrong. He knew slavery, even if it was only as nightmares and memories, but he knew it when he saw it. And that was what their troopers were.

He shook that thought off. It would only make him angry.

Anakin realized Obi-Wan hadn't responded yet, before he had the chance to turn around though, he spoke.

“Yes, Anakin,” Obi-Wan finally said and something in his voice caught Anakin’s attention. He turned to see his Master looking at him with a tender smile. One that was reserved for cute jokes, soft mornings filled with sleeping in, and when emotions became an actual thing they experienced and not just another thing they did wrong. “I suppose we do.”

There were occasions when Anakin was struck by how much Obi-Wan seemed to embody the spirit of ‘The General’ and now was not that time. Right now, in this very instant, Obi-Wan was just Obi-Wan. The man who Anakin would stand next to and walk backwards into hell with, if only Obi-Wan asked.

With a blink, he realized Obi-Wan needn’t ask. If he asked, then that defeated their purpose.

Then the transport came, the moment broken, and they readjusted their meager belongings to step on.

* * *

Padme laughed for a full two minutes straight as they sat on her couches watching her with amusement before she realized they were not yanking her chain nor lying to her. They really had left the Jedi Order, yes, and _no_ they had’t thought through any further than that. Honestly, Padme, control yourself.

“You’re being serious?” Padme asked, mouth agap in a very unladylike and very un-queenly expression as the truth seemed to dawn on her. She looked between the two of them in eqaul measure. “Anakin, you left the Order?”

“We both did, Padme,” Anakin said, gently reminding.

Padme’s eyes were wide but she narrowed them shrewdly as she tried to work things out in her head.

“Because of something you disagreed with?”  

They nodded.

"Many things that have just... piled up, I supposed you could say."

They had not told her all the details. It was still the Council after all, and they could get very prickly about what information was released to someone who could not shield their thoughts. Anakin failed to inform them that Padme could, but still, it was the principle of that matter.

“Well,” Padme mused, pursed lipped. “You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. The people of Naboo owe you much for what you both did and it would be in very poor taste if I just allowed you to leave without assuring you lodging. Not to mention, I consider you both dear friends, and I won’t hear of you leaving.”

Anakin couldn’t help but smile at her. She was so kind and generous and lovely and beautiful -

 ** _:Reign it in Anakin,:_ ** Obi-Wan sent to him. It was a fond kind of exasperation in his tone.

Anakin was quick to shield himself and straightened up. _Oh right._ This close to Obi-Wan it was like speaking directly to each other’s brains unless they were shielding. Something Anakin had stopped doing the moment they stepped into the Council room, so as better to react with Obi-Wan. He blushed as Obi-Wan shifted next to him.

“We appreciate it, Padme,” Obi-Wan thanked her. “And I think, with Anakin’s agreement, we’ll take you up on that offer. Just until we find our footing.”

“I’m game,” Anakin said, perhaps too quickly. Obi-Wan gave him a disapproving look but Anakin flashed out a, _not Jedi anymore_ , and Obi-Wan stiffened. Eyes wide he locked eyes with Anakin. It wasn’t shock so much as indignation.

Oh they were so going to be talking about that later, it seemed.

 ** _:Really Anakin?:_ ** Obi-Wan asked, with a mental sigh.

 ** _:... I’m really bad with attachments?:_ ** Anakin offered.

_Anakin._

**_:She’s pretty. We like each other. And... Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind -:_ **

**_:We’re less than half a day separated from the Order, Anakin.:_ **

That was clear disapproval but Anakin only pushed playful at Obi-Wan’s now rigid shielding.

**_:And we are no longer apart of them.:_ **

“Am I interrupting?” Padme asked.

The snapped the two Jedi - former-Jedi - out of their fun and back to their host.

“Apologies,” Obi-Wan said, with a weak smile. “It’s been a long day already.”

Padme understood and took pity on the poor things.

“Come, let me show you to your rooms,”

Obi-Wan and Anakin both graciously thanked her after she explained the setup of her apartment and gave them full reign, leading them to two rooms directly across from each other in the hallway opposite Padme’s own quarters. Anakin was tempted to try and subtly work his way into Obi-Wan’s quarters, if only to offer his silent support throughout the night.

But he **also** wanted to hang out with his wife.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Both would probably welcome him, but who wanted him more?

He flushed thinking of it in those terms.

“Dinner will be in about three hours - Will you and Anakin be joining me?”

Obi-Wan always appreciated that about her. How she could be personable and delightful behind closed doors and proper and queenly in front of the Senate. It was an admirable quality, the ability to delegate and to know when to do that in the blink of an eye.

Anakin was quick to agree and then just smiled, all smug, at his Master. Daring him to say no.

“Of course, Padme,” Obi-Wan agreed, and felt more than saw Anakin fist-bump the air.

He felt like he had just been cornered into something but he wasn’t sure what.

\-----------

Obi-Wan left them to settle into the room Padme provided them, which left Anakin and Padme alone.

“This was certainly not how I expected this day to go,” Padme said as she lead her lover back to the couches. “I assumed I would see you but... I can’t believe you and and Obi-Wan actually left the Order.”

Anakin agreed, but he was giddy with relief at the freedom he felt. “I’ll be honest, it doesn’t feel real.”

“Tomorrow it will,” Padme assured him.

“I know.”

“... So who suggested leaving?”

“Obi-Wan of course.”

Padme just kind of sighed through her nose. “They must have really pissed him off. I’ve never known Obi-Wan to make such an... _impulsive_ decision”

“I don’t think it was impulsive, it was just the final step over the edge for him. For us.”

As they sat, Padme patted the cushion next to her, quickly puling him down the rest of the way before he’d even began to sit and snuggled up with Anakin on the couch. They had planned to have at least some time together these two weeks he had for leave, but now Obi-Wan was staying, too. Which both gave them both more and less time together. More, but less alone time.

And yet, Anakin wouldn’t change it for anything. He wrapped his arms around Padme and dragged her over.

“So... what does this change?”

Anakin kissed her on her cheek. “For us?”

“For us, for the world, for the future,”

Not pulling back, cuddling closer, Anakin just smiled into her skin. “I don’t know... everything?”

Padme snorted and slapped his chest playfully.

“I’m serious,” Anakin told her, trying to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t. She was making that cute ‘I-want-you-to-be-truthful-with-me’ face. One she usually reserved for the Senate.

“I can deal with everything, as long as we deal with it together,” Padme returned the smile and planted one on Anakin’s mouth. From there it turned into a full blown make-out session that neither minded. The intimacy was much appreciated by both of them since they’d rarely had a moment alone it felt like. A moment of comfort in this crazy world.

 _:Anakin_ **_please_ ** _,:_ Obiwan interrupted as the two started to become entwined, caught up as they were with one another that Anakin’s shields had twitched.

 _:Oops,:_ Anakin thought as he yanked back from Padme and flushed bright red. Oh geesh. Obi-Wan had... Oh no. In mortification he sent out a meeped, : ** _Sorry!:_**

All he got back was a kind of embarrassed nod of understanding and a clear feeling to not do it again. The faintest hint of arousal Anakin chalked up to being forcibly dragged into his own feelings.

“Ani?” Padme asked, too used to him doing weird and odd things just as they began to reclaim one another after so long apart.

“Well, I think Obi Wan knows about us now.”

She quickly looked over her shoulder, as if to find the Jedi Master standing there, but saw no one. She was quick on the draw, she wasn’t just a pretty face after all, and soon understood what must have happened. Anakin had explained their bond often enough.

Her jaw dropped and she slapped his shoulder. “Ani!” She hissed, mortified.

Anakin rubbed his arm and sheepishly smiled at her.

“... Well, I’m not a Jedi anymore?” Was all he offered.

Padme could strangle him sometimes. Honestly!

* * *

Obi-Wan felt Anakin’s embarrassment and meek assent to reinforce his shields so quickly Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile. He was still flushed, simply because he hadn’t been ready for such hot and heavy feelings from his former-Padawan. They did not come slowly but rather felt like they had been ignited inside his chest. It had take him by surprise. Not that he _should_ have been surprised. Those two were as obviously crazy about each other as oblivious to everyone being aware of them.

He heard padme’s raised “ANI!” and flopped onto his back onto the bed with a smirk.

Then the smirk quickly faded as he unwillingly focused on those feelings Anakin had shared across the bond.

Anakin was a bright Force presence at all time but Obi-Wan had to be honest... he’d never felt him against their bond like _that_. Obi-Wan was no blushing virgin, but all of his partners had were either null, very weak in the Force, or a fellow Jedi who he did not share any bond with other than friendship. Anakin was... decidedly different. He wondered if other Jedi Masters had felt this. Their own Padawan’s arousal, joy, and smug arrogance of finally getting to be with their loved one again. That kind of heady lust and overwhelming love. That kind that wasn’t necessarily foreign to Obi-Wan but so carefully controlled as to be non-existent at all.

With a sigh Obi-Wan sat up to stare down at his hands.

The arousal he’d felt through the bond had brought up one relationship in particular. Satine, Duchess of Mandalore. At one time, he would have left the Order for her. At one time, he’d been nearly on the edge of leaving his Master for her. And she’d rewarded him by giving him her honest reaction: a bone-deep want but an even more conscious decision to understand that they both had a duty, and that they both had destinies that were never to cross in that capacity..

It was his first and last real relationship. Before, he’d heard the phrase of being ruined by someone, but had never expected it to happen to him.

Then Satine had happened.

Obi-Wan let his head fall into his hands as he groaned.

And it was all for nothing. He left the Order, years down the line, granted, but he still left. And not for Satine. No, not for her, but for his headstrong, independent former-Padawan. A man who he had raised from boyhood, into his Jedi-knightdom, and now into the freedom from the Jedi Order.

Warmth blossomed in his chest as he considered his dear friend.

How far the boy had come from slave to here. How far he had yet to go. It was bittersweet.

Yet, Obi-Wan knew this was the right decision. The Force pulsed around him strong and pleased, like a warm ebbing and flowing of the ocean. He knew it was partially reacting to Anakin’s happiness, this close in proximity, but it also sang to him. Sang a song of pleasure, of happiness, of agreement.

With that feeling strong in his heart, he settled onto the ground to meditate.

* * *

Sidious learns of Anakin leaving the order approximately four hours after the Council’s meeting. It’s a standing order that the Senate be informed over all administrative Jedi proceedings. So when Mace Windu himself, grave as ever, came into the Senatorial Pod for the Planet of Ando Prime, he perked up and listened.

He assumed it was going to be the usual boring paperwork, update on troops, and the like - but everyone in attendance was shocked when Mace Windu went one step further than usual in his reports.

“As of this morning, General’s Kenobi and Skywalker have left the Jedi Order. No other changes will come other than that they have been stripped of their Jedi Titles, Master and Knight, respectively. Their rank of General’s in the Grand Army of the Republic are still in effect.”

You could have heard a fly fart as shocked silence descended on all those in attendance.

For only a moment. Mace Windu tensed, as if waiting, and he was rewarded as a wave of hushed whispers turned into a roar.

“Order, Order,” Palpatine called easily enough, still a little baffled himself. “Are you saying that Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker are... no longer Jedi?”

It wasn’t unheard of, but occasionally Mace Windu informed them if a Jedi went rouge, left the Order of their own volition, or were killed. It was part of the Senate proceedings. But this... this was unheard of. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were the face of the Republic and their army. The Clones were accepted by the masses solely because of the marketing their government had done. And that marketing had relied on Kenobi and Skywalker. Heavily.

“Kenobi and Skywalker have left the Order, we make no assumptions on if they wish to keep the title of Jedi,” Mace expanded. “As of this moment, for public record, the two of them will no longer be in attendance with Jedi customs, laws, and orders. They have expressed their desires to remain a part of the war effort as General, but as for anything else... you must ask them.”

Sidious felt giddy as he kept a straight face.

Anakin leaving the Order was not part of the plan, but with the young Knight out from under the feet of his betters (excluding Obi-Wan, which would be a problem) it was open season. No longer did Palpatine need to hide his relationship with the Jedi, because he was not a Jedi any longer. The young man could come visit whenever he wanted, gain insights into the world Sidious had planned to keep from him for a while longer yet.

Palpatine immediately began to scheme how he could gain even more of his future apprentices time. Perhaps a part-time job as bodyguard? That would work...

Something niggled the back of his mind, but he pushed it away to think on later, and gave his full attention back to the proceedings. Well, not really. He gave his full attention to trying to understand what had forced such a change in the ebbing and flowing of the Force. And why the Living Force seemed to be... singing.

* * *

Today’s mediation had gone... a different way than most.

Obi-Wan was not one to dive fully into the living Force, but he felt it was necessary today. So much had changed, he knew this path they now were on diverged so swiftly from their path before that something had to of changed in the world.

Unfortunately, Obi-Wan had no clue how right he was.

The landscape of the Force was like a tapestry. A never ending, continuously looping and zooming tapestry. One could focus on one part of the galaxy, of the whole world, or on the grand total of it all. It rarely, if ever, changed. It pulsed, had a flow, but the landscape changed so gradually that all Jedi were rarely aware of the change because it was so small, so minimal.

This change had diverted _something_. Bright and warm, cold and flashing; Obi-Wan knew something had taken a sharp turn but was not as attuned with the Living Force as he was with the other more docile parts of the Force. Therefore, this landscape was nearly as foreign to him as Padme’s mind-place.

It wasn’t a.... Bad change. Nor a good one. It was simply change.

 _How could one little choice change so much?_ Obi-Wan wondered, nearly in tears as he felt it all, so open and so new that it touched him gently and wiggled it’s way deep inside him.

Obi-Wan had rarely allowed the Force to affect him. Now he found he could barely fight it.

It must have been half an hour, perhaps even an hour, before Obi-Wan was able to pull himself fully out of his own mind, the Force, and back into the physical realm. With a gasp, he fell forward as he heaved for air. There was no way he hadn’t been breathing, but it felt like someone had dumped a whole bucket of ice-water on him, while simultaneously stealing the air from his lungs.

It was then that he was interrupted, before he could pretend as if everything was alright.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin’s voice, muffled as it was, came through the door.

No matter how much he trusted and loved his former-Padawan, he would really rather he not see him like this. But Obi-Wan was not one to run away from battle. He preferred to spring the trap rather than running until he couldn’t run any further. To be a coward would negate everything he had gone through to get here.

So, taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan hoarsely called, “Come in, Anakin,”

Hearing his tone, Anakin entered faster and without as much decorum as he might have before.

“Obi-Wan, are you alright?” He asked in concern as he came towards the man on the floor. “You felt... far away.”

“Mediating,” Obi-Wan managed to say as he leaned against the heel of the bed, head sagging against the soft fabric of the duvet. “It was... much.”

Anakin was quick to crouch down in front of him, hands roaming over his forehead, neck, and wrists as he checked Obi-Wan over. No fever, but he was slightly chilled. His body shivered every few seconds, but that wasn’t what worried Anakin. No, that was what Obi-Wan was transmitting over their bond, so unshielded as to be practically yelling.

Shock. Confusion. Desire to know. A quiet kind of disbelief. And a strange, strange warmth that Anakin knew intimately as the Living Force.

_What had happened?_

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin breathed as he finally kneeled down in front of him. “Do you need help sorting yourself out?”

The man hesitated for a long second, staring at Anakin with furrowed brows as he tried his hardest to put himself back together. But the overwhelming touch of the Force had been a bit... much. So he nodded.

“We changed... we changed a lot,” Obi-Wan stated in response to the unanswered question.

Anakin frowned but closed his eyes and settled into work.

This close, they were _barely_ two people. Entwined as they were Anakin felt Obi-Wan’s pain, comfort, and uncertainty. Also, he felt the love, the fondness, the bond they had stretched across both their skins like a declaration of attachment, that word that the Jedi considered so dirty.

How they thought they could ever last as Jedi Anakin was sure was a lesson in futility.

It took only a few minutes, Anakin was very good at detangling himself from the Force, since he was usually pretty heavy-handed with it and it _liked_ to coil around him like a snake, or a mother with a favored child. Obi-Wan was usually much more reserved and didn’t dip his toes too deeply into the Force.

_What had made him start now?_

It was clear their decision had, but there had to be something deeper. An intense need to understand.

That was when Anakin felt it. Obi-Wan pushing the answer to that specific question forward.

“You sure?”

He seemed unable to really find the words but nodded, pushing against his forehead. As Anakin touched the strings of light that was offered to him, he wanted to recoil in stomach-churning nausea.

The memory was just a glimpse of the Force as Obi-Wan had viewed it. For as much as people assumed Anakin had trouble meditating, it was not so much trouble as an unwillingness to see everything, so vast, spanning the world and time itself. He was very aware of the Living Force, and therefore he knew better than Obi-Wan how much had changed.

Usually Anakin had to stretch and work himself into complete silence to see himself, but through Obi-Wan’s own view he could see it all. _Had there always been that much red, and gray, and blue in his life? Had his threads, his strings of fate always been twinning and swirling around the whole galaxy?_

_Did he... did he really have that much influence?_

Ananin felt small, smaller than an ant, and humbled.

And then it was all over.

Anakin and Obi-Wan left blinking, nearly collapsed on each other, as the real world, their reality, came crashing over them. It took them both a few more seconds to catch their breaths, again, but this time there was no pulsing energy between them. Just a content purr.

“Well then,” Anakin coughed, leaning back only slightly.

Obi-Wan made a distressed kind of noise and snaked a hand around his neck, wound his fingers in his hair, and pulled his forehead right back down onto his own.

“Don’t leave, please,” Obi-Wan nearly begged. “You moved away and it just made it all the worse.”

Anakin felt too hot, too aware, but refused to allow Obi-Wan to suffer.

“Got it.”

He kept his forehead glued to his Master’s.

Padme found them like that a few minutes later.

“Anakin? Obi-Wan? Are you both - OH!”

They neither moved nor changed seating. Anakin held out a hand, palm out, one finger raised, as if to tell her to wait.

“One moment,” Anakin breathed.

“Uhm, alright, well, I just - “ They couldn’t see her but she was clearly flustered. “I guess I’ll just be out in the sitting room? Yeah? Yes. Yes, that’s where I’ll be. Come out when you can,”

And then she fled.

As she left, Anakin felt the bond between Obi-Wan and him snap into place like a rubber band that had been stretched and stretched to snapping and then repaired. With fire.

“Ugh,” Obi-Wan groaned, finally able to tear himself away from Anakin. Only he didn’t move far, he shoved his head into Anakin’s shoulder. Both exhausted, Anakin finally collapsed onto the floor fully in front of him. He felt like his whole body was filled with Jell-o and toothpicks.

“Don’t do that again,” Anakin breathed into his hair.

“Not planning on it, I assure you.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Anakin felt unstable and shaky. “You scared me, Obi-Wan...”

Obi-Wan nodded. “What the bleeding kark was that?”

Anakin froze. “I was _hoping_ you’d tell me.”

Neither moved, until Anakin got a crick in his neck and leaned back onto his heels. Obi-Wan finally breaking away from the warmth of the younger man to regain his footing.

“I think I saw Shatterpoints.”

Anakin’s head snapped towards him, eyes searching his. “Like Mace?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, it was only once. They... they went away when I pulled back. They aren’t coming back, they were just... overwhelming. I hope.”

With a huff, Anakin ran a hand through Obi-Wan's mussed hair. “What’d you do? I was gone for like... an hour.”

“I reached out to the Force... and the Force reached back.”

“Well, can you not do that again?”

Obi-Wan groaned, trying to sit up correctly. “I’ll try, no promises.”

Anakin relaxed then.

“Kark, you really scared me,”

“I know,” Obi-Wan sighed, then turned his eyes to Anakin. They were bright, tired, but too much was happening behind them. Anakin wanted to just shut him off for a little while, but wasn’t sure how to do that.

So, in the awkward silences that exist only within the spaces such as theirs, Obi-Wan and Anakin recovered. Padme came back ten minutes later, playfully surprising them with, “So am I interrupting this time?”

Anakin smiled. “No, Obi-Wan’s not having a fit anymore.”

“It wasn’t a fit,” Obi-Wan groaned, shoving him childishly over with a smile. “I just... pushed a little farther than I should have.”

Their conversation went over Padme’s head but she nodded, quickly offering what she had came into their room to say before. Dinner was ready, had been for a while, but she didn’t want to eat until her guests were all present. Both of the ex-Jedi blushed at that and apologized profusely getting up on unsteady legs to waddle into the dining room where they promptly collapsed to a banquet of fresh and mouthwatering food.

“Looks great!” Anakin smiled, pleased, as he leaned over and gave her a quick peck before descending on his food like it was his personal mission.

Obi-Wan hardly had it in him to give Anakin hell for the simple action, and Padme’s bright blush was worth it.

As they all settled in, it almost seemed like a normal night.

But the lights behind Obi-Wan’s eyes didn’t leave. Nor did the strange electric crackle between their bond. Everything still felt too bright, too tight, too much. He still saw the mess their one decision had torn on the Force as a whole - and he couldn’t be for certain if it was for better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit [8/17/2017]: Fixed bond-speech formatting/spelling.


	3. Can't Turn Around Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first: THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS AND READING :) You guys have made my day/week/month with those comments/kudos of yours! Also, special shout-out to CrossOver_Addict for the song plug, (Battle Dawn) let me just tell you, BEST song to write about these two and betrayal with. ;D ;D ;D  
> So this story has been super duper fun to write! It's such a great stress reliever and it's fun to just plop down and write about two of my all time favorite characters just going on vacation and putting their middle-fingers up in the air like they just don't care :D Only, now I'm getting into writing about them actually caring...  
> EUGH. Oh well. Had to happen!  
> Wanted to let you guys know, too, that I have decided to write each of these stories, in this series, as pertaining to the arcs they are apart of. Such as this story is the Hardeen arc, with the box, and Chancellor-napping. Next will be (heres to hoping) the Maul and Savage Arc. Then the Mandalorian Arc (which let me just tell you, I have written a few scenes for this one and am SUPER PUMPED to share when it comes time!).  
> Another thing, I have found out that I suck at writing battles from a General's perspective. (which is FLIPPIN NECESSARY, gosh darnit) The wording, the strategy, what not is kicking my butt. Anyone have any advice? Links? Wanna help me out? Just drop me a line in the comments OR find me on Tumblr @cordeanddorme and chat it up :) I love talking about Starwars and could go on for dayyysssss.  
> Once again, thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

After dinner, Obi-Wan and Anakin had moved to Obi-Wan’s room to talk about what they were now going to do. They still had hours of daylight left, after all. No sooner had they shut the door then Anakin’s comm-unit emitted a high-pitched sound.

That was Ahsoka’s ring tone. Both of them knew it.

 _Oh._ **_Oh_ ** _. Shit_. Anakin thought, remembering the hastily, rushed message he had left for his Padawan. He’d been so preoccupied, so overwhelmed with Obi-Wan bursting in and basically demanding they leave the Order this second and then getting to Padme’s and Obi-Wan having that weird Force-fit and -

Anakin winced. _Oh, this was not going to be good_. Not good at all.

And Anakin deserved every single moment.

Glancing at Obi-Wan his Master was wearing the same expression. Well, at least they both had dropped that ball. Anakin most of all. Answering, Anakin opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by Ahsoka’s frantic rambling at the speed of light.

“MASTER! Master, I just got your message - What is happening?”

She sounded panicked, worried, and like she’d been - crying?

Anakin felt his heart clench in his chest.

She babbled, wild with worry and tinged with panic. “What happened? Did you and Master Obi-Wan **actually** leave the Order? Did you suggest leaving? Did Master Obi-Wan? What’s going to happen to me? Where are you two? We need to talk, Master! I can’t believe you’d tell me this over comm - “

“Ahsoka!” Anakin interrupted as her tirade became breathless and more frantic. “Breath, Padawan.”

There was a faint huff over the line as Ahsoka did just that. A sniffle.

 _Oh kark,_ Anakin had screwed up. Majorly. He winced.

“Okay, breathe deep, alright.”

He waited a moment, hoping she was following his instructions when he didn’t deserve it.

_Force, he was a horrible Master._

“Okay, here’s what happened: Yes, Obi-Wan and I have left the Order. There were... multiple reasons, but none of them matter at this exact second. You matter.” He waited for a second for another outburst, but it seemed she was just shell-shocked. He continued. “You have choices, Ahsoka, and if you want to discuss them then come to Padme’s apartment. It is where we are currently staying.”

Another worryingly long silence.

“I’m already here.”

 _Well, that was two people who seemed to understand mine and Padme’s relationship better than I thought they would,_ Anakin thought with a sigh. Running a hand through his hair, messing it up into chunks of crazy hair.

“You told Ahsoka over Comm?” Obi-Wan asked, but he was clearly embarrassed he hadn’t thoroughly thought through their exit. Yoda had been right, he’d been emotional and quick and rushed; never would he take it back, though. He felt that would be a coming theme in the next few months. Everyone would want answers, after all, and Obi-Wan had very few to offer.

“It went all so very fast!” Anakin defended himself, weakly.

That was an understatement.

“Well,” Obi-Wan said false-brightly as Anakin turned to him. “Shall we go let her in?”

It was unnecessary, of course, because as Anakin and Obi-Wan came out into the sitting room, Ahsoka was already sitting with Padme. Padme who had an arm slung over her shoulder as the young Tortuga leaned into her, face blotchy and pink tinged.

 **:You couldn’t have just told her you have news and then tell her in person?:** Obi-Wan berated him.

 **_:Oh shut up, not like you would have done better,:_ ** Anakin tossed at him, as he greeted his Padawan. “Ahsoka.”

“What’s going on?” She demanded, tipping her chin up and glaring at him. He knew she did that so that she didn’t end up crying. Again. “What the **kark** _happened_?”

She looked so much like the Jedi she was going to become in that moment. His Padawan was strong, capable, and rarely showed weakness. Anakin felt a pang of loss, of embarrassment at perhaps losing her, of dread.

“Obi-Wan and I left the Order, as you know,” He started moving closer.

Ahsoka nodded her head, once, firmly. It was clear she was fighting back tears. _Oh damn,_ Anakin hated being this person. This person that he was that made his loved ones cry so easily. Just how easy it was to wound and so very hard to heal.

“Oh, Ahsoka,” he sighed, as he sat on her other side, opening his arms. The Tortuga left Padme’s arms immediately and threw herself into his embrace, tucking her face against his throat as she shook, new tears at the ready. “None of this is your fault, alright? So don’t you dare think that. We...”

He paused arranging his thoughts.

“Obi-Wan and I have finally had enough of the Council's constant back, and forth, this last plot they had concocted was the final straw. But just because we left doesn’t mean you must. And if you don’t want, nothing has to change.”

Ahsoka sniffled, pulling back. “Everything **already** has changed.”

Anakin nodded, sadly. It had. Yet, he didn’t think he’d take it back, as bad of a person as that made him. The Force itself agreed with him, which meant it had to be the right choice, right?

... Right?

“Listen, Snips, I’m not going to lie - alright? We’re no longer part of the Order, but we still are Jedi - which means I will still be your Master if you want me. No matter what the Council says.”

She didn’t meet his eyes, but she nodded. He tilted her chin up gently, so she was looking at him.

“Which means you have two choices: leave with us, where I’ll continue training you, or stay and study under another Master.”

Ahsoka pulled back to give them some distance.

“I could still be a Jedi?” She asked. Clarifying she added, “I want you as my Master, but I want to be a **Jedi** , too.”

“We’d have to actually go before the Council, but there should be no reason they would bar you from training with us,” Anakin said, thoughtfully. “We are Jedi, we have done nothing wrong.”

“Except break the Code,” Obi-Wan reminded. With a pointed glance at him that Anakin knew to mean Padme.

Anakin flushed. “Well, yeah, that. That’s semantics, though,”

“We must meet with them anyway,” Obi-Wan reminded Anakin. “We are still Generals with troops. We still are needed in our capacity as such.”

Anakin groaned. “Not right away, though, right?”

Snorting, Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “No, not right away. We’re still technically on leave for the next two weeks. Plus, Ahsoka needs to agree to go before the Council, as we explain the situation.”

Ahsoka looked thoughtful, still miserable and red-eyed, and Anakin and Obi-Wan waited to hear what she would say with baited breath.

“I want you as my Master,” Ahsoka decided. “But you **have** to communicate with me,”

Anakin agreed immediately. “Of course,”

“No more of this... this Comm messages about life-changing events. This isn’t the first time you’ve dropped a bombshell on me, at least not one of this size, but... but it hurt, Master.” She sniffled. “It’s like you didn’t even _care_.”

Anakin felt her grief cleanly in his chest, their bond not nearly as strong as Obi-Wan’s and his own, but still important; pulsing in his chest softly with mourning and feelings of anger, regret, and disappointment.

“Oh, Ahsoka, I’m so sorry - “ Anakin pulled her, once again into his arms. She let him, following willingly into the curve of his body. “Everything just happened so fast, I wasn’t thinking - We had too little time, and so much to do, and I still feel like everything's going to be topsy-turvy for a while yet. I will never do something that foolish again, I swear.”

 **_:I don’t know if I believe you,:_ ** Ahsoka sent to him, making him stiffen with regret.

**_:Then I’ll just have to earn your trust back.:_ **

**_:I’ll hold you to that, Master.:_ **

Anakin had messed up. Big time. Tightening his grip he promised to never make such a mistake again. Communication would not cost him the people he loved most in this life. Something else, perhaps, but never because he didn’t talk it all through.

“First thing tomorrow we are going to go see the Council,” He promised his Padawan.

Ahsoka sniffled, agreeing but Anakin knew there was something strained between them now. He would try his hardest to fix it and hoped that he’d be able to, but he knew how he could hold a grudge - and hoped she would take pity on him.

“You need to go to the Barrack,” Ahsoka told them, wiping at her face. “Cody and Rex need to know before this gets out.”

Obi-Wan nodded.

“I had planned to speak with Anakin about that before you arrived. They need to be informed by us before anyone else know, save the Council. I won’t have my men in the dark.”

“It’s only right,” Anakin nodded. “And we’ve done all the rest of this backward... the least we can do is do right by our troops.”

“How... how exactly is this going to work?” Padme asked, from the side.

Anakin frowned. “How do you mean?”

“Well, the Council controls the war effort, do they not? They are beholden to the Senate, but they control the troops, the Generals, the war as is.”

Obi-Wan nodded. Anakin cocked his head.

“If they control the war effort... don’t they also control Clone assignments?”

“I was part of the Council, Senator,” Obi-Wan said. “The significant decisions, about general maneuvering and responding to the war were decided at that level but fighting, being a General, can be more than just a Jedi position. Granted, it has not, yet, but it can be. Which is one thing I wish to change about the way this war is being fought. We need more citizens of the Republic joining in and having a stake in the war effort.”

“So you have a plan?”

“... No, not really.” Obi-Wan sighed. “I thought about this often enough, what needed to be changed if we had the power - but I was thinking in terms of being part of the Order.”

“Then why did you leave?”

Anakin shared a look with Obi-Wan. It was... hard to quantify exactly why leaving the Order was for the best because a lot of reason to leave would seem stupid to people. Following the Order’s orders was sometimes soul sucking. The morality that Obi-Wan and Anakin had enjoyed in their youth was gone. The war had stripped them of their rights, nearly as well as it had never given them to the Clones. And... they just weren’t happy there. Hadn’t been for a long while.

That was a hard pill to swallow. The most difficult one for Obi-Wan to acknowledge.

On the flip-side, leaving wouldn’t change much. It was a lesson in futility, but it was futility they were willing to fight for. They were still going to fight in the war, send their troopers out to die, and risk their lives - but they were hoping on the outside they could do some good that they could never get done before. As Jedi, there was a certain expectation and way they acted.

Obi-Wan had never been on the opposite side of that. It was... strange now.

“It’s complicated,” He said, instead.

Anakin nodded.

Padme just raised a brow.

“Many reasons,” He hedged. Anakin couldn’t even think of a way to quantify it. He’d tried before, but Padme didn’t get it. Nobody who wasn’t a Jedi did. Ahsoka would, either, because she was still so young - she’d never seen the Order as it had been. Never really would.

“So let’s get this straight - you left the order, but you will still be following their orders. How does this change anything?” Padme demanded. “You’ll still be following their orders where it matters.”

 **_:You try Anakin,:_ ** Obi-Wan was close to pleading. :I ** _’m not sure how to explain. You at least had a few years outside the Order.:_ **

Anakin nearly flinched but decided to try.

“With the Order, Padme, we were one people.” He tried to explain. “Our actions reflect the Order, the Order’s actions, the Council's actions, reflects ours. You can’t have the one without the other. And that would be fine, it works for many Jedi, but there has been so much change in the Order without there being actual any _meaningful_ or _worthwhile_ change. It’s like... Here, let me give you an example.”

Obi-Wan then knew where this was going and gave Anakin an encouraging smile.

“The Jedi, are supposed to be peacekeepers. We are now leading the war effort. It’s complete antithesis to what we should be, yet here we are. Before we were sent out on diplomatic missions, protecting both sides equally; now,”

He felt his lips curl in derision.

“Now Padawans are on the battlefield, learning to be warriors first and diplomatic second. It’s... twisting the entire Jedi Order. Twisting the future. It’s a necessary evil but it’s what the Order has come to expect.”

Obi-Wan didn’t know how to say it any better than that.

“You never told me that...” Padme said. Ahsoka sitting next to her, stared wide-eyed at her Master.

“It’s hard to talk about when you just have to endure,” Obi-Wan told them. “For the vast majority of the time, the Order functions exactly how it should operate. We’re happy. We fight alongside our Clones and we sacrifice our lives for the greater good. It’s when the Council gets involved that everything becomes a lot less certain.”

“It’s not all their fault, either,” Anakin added, smiling as everyone look at him in disbelief. “It’s the war, and the Jedi’s leading the war effort **that...** That is the problem. But there is no way to escape it really. Leaving the Order at least gives us the chance to... well, not be part of them.”

Obi-Wan watched their faces.

“Does that explain part of our reasoning?”

“I may not get the full reason of why, but I respect it. I respect you both,” Padme said. Adding, “But I might still have more questions. Be patient with me?”

Anakin smiled brightly, tempered somewhat by the heaviness of their conversation. “Of course.”

* * *

 Afterwards, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan set off for the barrack where they were greeted enthusiastically by their men.

“General Kenobi!” A squad saluted. “General Skywalker! Commander Tano!”

“At ease,” Obi-Wan said, with a smile as they all relaxed. “Can you tell me where I can find Cody and Rex?”

“Of course, sir,” One of the newer troops said, Anakin thought his name might be Niko, but he wasn’t part of his clones, rather he was part of Obi-Wans. He explained that Cody and Rex, as well as the vast majority of the 501st, were in room 205, discussing the possibility of returning to Kamino for their extended leave to help train their brothers.

That was not news to Obi-Wan nor Anakin, but both were surprised they were acting on their wants rather than pushing them back like their Jedi Generals often did. Just another change between Jedi, people, and the clones.

“Thank you, Tito,” Obi-Wan thanked the now blushing clone and bowed. It was disturbing how using their given, chosen names gave the clones so much joy. Just went to show just how unique Anakin and his Master and his Padawan really were and now often the other Jedi forgot or chose to ignore, the clones most basic needs.

“Kamino, huh?” Anakin asked, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “You think they’ll let one of us accompany them?”

Obi-Wan gave him a pleased fond look, both on the same wave length.

“I was already going to ask, don’t worry, Anakin. Our troops will not be going near Wild Space alone.”

Anakin felt relieved at that. Disappointed that Obi-Wan would be gone, but that was how their world worked. So very often they were unable to truly be together because of this stupid war. At least Obi-Wan would be with beings that cared about him. That was all Anakin could ask.

Ahsoka was still unnervingly quiet behind them, recovering from the shocking news and still uncertain future that lay before them. Fortunately for her, Anakin knew better than to interrupt her. He’d done enough already.

“Transport can be ready at 0800 tomorrow,” The voice of Five echoed down the hall. The door open.

“That will give us a total of twelve days on planet,” Cody replied warmly. “That’s enough time to get the shinies off the ground, for sure.”

The Jedi’s reached the door as another of the 501st, Rex, spoke. “You think General Kenobi or Skywalker will want to join us?”

“... They might, but we shouldn’t take away from their leave, too.”

Always one for dramatic entrances, Obi-Wan entered the room with a smile.

“Oh I don’t think that will be a problem, Commander,”

Every clone trooper in attendance quickly hopped out of their seats and saluted. “Sir!”

“At ease,” Obi-Wan felt like he was always saying that. Perhaps without the Council breathing so heavily down his neck, he could lead his troopers how he wanted, with a lot more mercy and judgment and with more training until they were the best of the best.

The troopers all relaxed but none of them would look Obi-Wan directly in the eye.

“What was this we were hearing about you going to Kamino?” Anakin asked, hands behind his back, mimicking Obi-Wans open posture. He felt, more than saw, Ahsoka take up a similar pose, but much looser. The position of a Padawan.

“Sir, we wished to take our leave on Kamino, sir,” Cody answered, staring straight ahead.

Rex chiming in. “The shinies can use all the training they can get from us, sir,”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard and walked forward.

“I agree,”

They all looked to Obi-Wan then, at the sound of his voice.

“You do, sir?” Rex asked, relieved.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind I would like to accompany you.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” They all agreed heartily. Smiles all around. It wasn’t often they got even one of their Generals to accompany them to see their brothers, after all. And Obi-Wan was the hardest of all to wrangle onto a ship headed that way after actually _finding_ the Clones. Not just because he was a Council member, either. Was. Was a Council member.

One of the troopers cottoned on to the silence and uneasy air of the Generals. “Sir, traveling to Kamino was clearly not your reason for your visit. Did you come to discuss something else with us?”

Sometimes, it was easy to see how young these men were in moments like this. All genetically the same, but different. Each one a bright point in the Force, like beacons of light. Some even had genetic ‘deformities’ such as odd hair colors, differing bone structure, yet all were so young. Ultimately, it always hit Obi-Wan just how unique, young, and special these men were when they met his eyes and **dared** him to see them as human as the person next to them.

“Anakin and I have left the Order,” Obi-Wan said as if he were giving an order. No hesitation. Chin level, meeting the trooper, Mixer, right in his eyes. There was surprise there, eyes open wide and jaw un-clenching in shock.

“Sir?” Cody asked, but no - Obi-Wan knew that tone. That was a demand. So much emotion in that one word.

And Cody deserved the truth.

“The Council and I have had our... _disagreements_ in the past,” He began to explain, the attention of all the troopers now on his face. “I’ve usually lost those arguments, along with most votes, with the consequences being dire, far more often than not. This afternoon they demanded something of me I was not willing to give them, and I decided to leave. I told Anakin I was leaving and he joined me.”

It was silent. The troopers all staring at him with one thought strumming through the Force around them.

_Jedi could choose to leave?_

There was also heavy melancholy hovering over them. Despairing and resigned. Understanding and confusion. Acceptance that was so quick to be given it hurt Obi-Wan to realize they had all figured it out - they had all realized what this usually meant. When a Jedi was killed or went rogue, clones were reassigned. It was a part of their life as surely as their blaster strapped to their hips.

“Sir, does this mean we are being reassigned?” Rex asked, still and unmoving. All good humor was gone.

Anakin straightened and answered for them both. “Over our dead bodies.”

 **That** got their attention once more. Something sweet, like hope, blossomed in the air around them. So poignant, if Obi-Wan hadn’t had a better control of himself he might have teared up. As it was, he had an excellent handle on himself, and only allowed himself to smile.

“We are Generals of the Grand Army of the Republic. We are _your_ Generals, men.” He looked every one of them in the eye. Each one settled, firming, resolute. “If the Council dares tries to change that, there will be far more than hell to pay, won’t there?”

With a roar they all answered:

“SIR, YES, SIR!”

 **_:I do believe we just staged a mutiny,:_ ** Anakin thought, fondly.

Obi-Wan smiled, and it was nowhere near brittle. : **_Won’t be the first time.:_ **

Ahsoka, her presence bright and warm, not quite as chilled, echoed that.

**_:Nor shall it be the last, Masters.:_ **

* * *

They stayed for only a while longer to try and hash out the details. It was decided that the ship to Kamino would ship-out four hours later than they wanted, at noon, tomorrow to give Obi-Wan and Anakin time to meet with the Council and set up their new ‘positions’.

“Do you even have the authority to make these decisions, General Kenobi?” Cody asked as they all sat, discussing their plans.

“I was on the Council; now I am not. I don’t know what kind of position any of us really hold. This is new ground we are walking across. We are traveling new waters. Waters our ancestors traveled not for a very, very long time,” Obi-Wan answered. “We have not had a General who did not answer directly to the Council, yet. I mean to change that. Not just for us, either, but for everyone.”

“Do you mean you want non-Force sensitives in charge of our brothers?” Rex asked, with a frown.

“That would be ideal, yes,” Obi-Wan nodded. “And, a draft would be nice, as well. Real citizens, not just clones waring for their planets. Perhaps then, we would see a real change in the war, rather than this stalemate.”

It was something Obi-Wan had been particularly vocal about. People, ‘real’ people who already had citizenship and weren’t born in test-tubes, deserved to fight for their freedoms. More so than innocent children who had only known the comfort of Mandalorian customs and white-walls and, now, battle. Just because the clones were bred for war, did not mean that is all they were bred for.

It was something all decent Jedi should also claim to believe.

Looking at the time, Anakin groaned. “Ugh, we should get some sleep, Obi-Wan. Ahsoka. Tomorrow is already going to be a long day.”

Based on the clones general slumped shoulders, they were also tired.

Obi-Wan almost forgot that they'd just gotten off a two-month long campaign.

“Of course, my apologies, men,” Obi-Wan gave a faint hint of a smile as he rose. “Please, rest. You’ve earned it.”

“You, too, sir.”

“Please, General. You’ve been running yourself ragged. These two weeks are for relaxing, and we all know you won’t do as you're told,” Cody ordered him lightly.

Obi-Wan blinked at the earnest way his Commander took charge. Few Commanders would order their Generals to do anything, not even speak to them a certain way, or to say their preferred name unless asked. That Cody would actually speak up to Obi-Wan like another person, like one of his brothers, is telling.

It was a victory if Obi-Wan had ever seen one, so he smiled and nodded his head. “Will do, Commander.”

Standing he bid them all good night and allowed them to leave first; Anakin and he stood together for a moment as the sound of shuffling footsteps faded. Ahsoka looked troubled still, but she was also glancing between the two of them unsure about something.

“He berated you,” Anakin snorted, softly, awe in his tone. “Even now I can’t get Five or any of my clones to tell me how they really feel without first ordering it of them. And don’t get me started on Rex, he’ll run his mouth all he wants but... he’s never given me an order. He dances around the issues.”

“Cody trusts me,” Was Obi-Wan’s answer. “And I will cherish that trust, just as I have cherished it with every single being who has ever lent it to me. Loyalty is not a game to be won, after all, Anakin. It’s a constant struggle.”

Something unwound in Anakin’s Padawan then, both of them felt it. Neither looked back at her, for fear that they would unknowingly rewind it, but she felt more peaceful than she had all day. The turbulent emotions were still there, buffeting them both, but she was reigning herself in, surer than she’d been all day.

“Come, we don’t want to be rude to our host,”

Anakin groaned. Padme’s apartment was nearly a half an hour transport ride. He was not looking forward to that.

“Oh buck up, Master,” Ahsoka teased. “What’s thirty minutes?”

Both Obi-Wan and Anakin answered in the same breath: “Half a sleep cycle.”

They shared a poignant, raised brow glare at each other before bursting out laughing.

 _Force,_ Obi-Wan thought to himself, Anakin echoing the feeling. _He’d not laughed like this in years._

It reinforced the one constant in Obi-Wan’s life: If Anakin was by his side, surely they could defeat any foe. Even one of their making. Even one as simple and as complicated as the Council. Even something as gruesome as war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :BLAH: - bond speech  
> edit: Little mixup with Rex and Fives -- I plead reading too much Starwars canon stuff!


	4. Are We Welcome Anymore?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this tomorrow, but I have family obligations. So now is as good a time as any :)  
> Real quick shout-out to my beta/person/thought-picker CrossOver_Addict who's been a great help with plot, grammar, and just talking about the fun stuff I have planned.  
> Now. Real quick. There are MANY directions I can take this. Some parts of the story I am writing need to have your input. Input for basically this:  
> Pairings.  
> What do you guys want? Because it can go either the usual Anakin/Padme & Obi-Wan/Satine, OR it can go all the way over into the crazy far side of the spectrum of a weird conglomeration of Anakin/Obi-Wan/Padme & Anakin/Obi-Wan/Satine -- There are spoilers that-a-way and I don't want to get into it, but please please please, with your review, tell me what you want to read. I'm flexible, but I want to know what you guys want to read. THink of it as... a prompt-challenge for me :) Majority wins!  
> :D  
> Anyways - Onward!

“Oh,” Obi-Wan said the next morning, at the breakfast table.  
  
Anakin, still bleary and not exactly awake grunted, which was as close to an inquiry for more information than Obi-Wan was used to getting. Had the information he was about to share been of a less sensitive nature, he might have even smiled at his cute former Padawan's attitude. As it was, the news wasn’t good.  
  
“Mace Windu is dead.”  
  
Whatever sleepiness within Anakin’s brain rapidly evaporated as his head snapped up. He and Obi-Wan shared a look. A look that said - _that was nearly you/me, that was very nearly the beginning of the end, that was very nearly a horrible,_ ** _horrible_** _mistake_. Both of them shared much with one look. Like others might stare for hours, it only took a blink for them to understand each other.  
  
The plot to infiltrate the Separatists was happening. Right now.  
  
And neither of them were part of it.

_ Oh, how the world had turned. _

Padme, next to Anakin, covered her mouth and gasped. “Oh, no!”

“Assassinated?” Anakin hoarsely asked. Feeling like he had been run over.

Obi-Wan nodded, chin jerking up and then down. 

“When? How?”

“A bounty hunter by the name of Rako Hardeen. Got in a lucky shot. Mace... Mace was wounded. Then he fell off a building,” Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “Those two events combined...”

Padme winced and paled dramatically.

Anakin felt sick. That was nearly Obi-Wan. He could see Obi-Wan. There were no graphic images, but Anakin could paint a picture within his mind. Mace, lying broken on the ground, gasping for air. Nobody getting to him in time. Wasting away. Then, suddenly, it wasn’t Mace. It was Obi-Wan. Lying on the ground, gasping, staring upwards, shot and bleeding and - it was fake. Anakin knew it was fake, but it didn’t make it any less real to the rest of the world.

It was  **fake** . Anakin had to remind itself. It was all a lie. Mace was fine. Obi-Wan was doubly fine.

Neither looked away from each other as Padme reached across and snatched up the pad to read herself.  Neither  Obi-Wan nor Anakin needed to read further. This was the beginning of their exclusion from the Order, after all. Threepio exclaimed something about the news and was quick to waddle over to the wall and fiddle with the controls to turn on the projector. 

**_:Obi-Wan...:_ ** Anakin sent to him.

**_:I know, Anakin,:_ **

**_:That was quick.:_ **

**_:...I was to die this morning,:_ **

**_:Yet, it says that Mace was killed last night...:_ **

**_:Probably because he was much more willing than I,:_ **

**_:Was it because he was the closest to Rako Hardeen’s build? Couldn’t they have found a better Bounty Hunter?:_ **

**_:I haven’t a clue, Anakin.:_ **

_ Didn’t that just say it all? _

They both were silent, the whole room was. 

“The funeral will be soon,” Anakin mused aloud, which snapped Padme out of her shock and deep frown. 

“Ani!” She scolded. “Be a little more respectful. Mace Windu was a very well respected, Jedi Master,”

Anakin raised a brow at her in disbelief, watching as she flushed. Considering there were two Jedi at the table, and another sleeping in the guest room provided, the only non-Jedi saying what she had just announced was a tad... amusing.

“Right. Of course, you’d know that,” Padme huffed out a breath as she tangled a finger in her long, intricate braid. “Sorry, Ani, just... a little shocked. Sometimes I forget to think.”

Obi-Wan reached over and patted her hand. “We understand, Padme, no offense taken. We’re all in... shock.”

_ Sure. Shock. Let’s go with that one. _ Anakin privately thought, peeking over his wife’s shoulder to read. Obi-Wan gave him a disapproving look, considering it rude, but Anakin ignored it. The article was short, to the point, but the follow-up was worth it. Rampant rumors, wrong information, and Council-Senate fed info.

“We made the front page,” Anakin informed Obi-Wan, as Padme read. Obi-Wan sighed, as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

“About us leaving the Order, I take it?”

“You got it in one,”

Obi-Wan nodded, feeling better rested than usual but still tired. With this news, it would just be more and more fun and excitement. Non-stop even. He couldn’t wait to run off to Kamino with his men.  _ Yikes _ . That was a thought he never thought he’d have. Ever since the first time, he’d wished never to go back, but if leaving the planet for a little R&R with his men kept him away from the questions - he’d happily do it.

Anakin quickly tired of reading over Padme’s shoulders and sat down next to her. 

“Anything we should know about?” He asked her, with little patience for written words.

“Well with a title like: ‘Hero With No Fear and The Negotiator Leave Jedi Order!’ you really expect there to be any research?” 

Her secret husband snorted but gave her an adoring look.

“This morning the world was shocked as Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Anakin Skywalker, both Generals in the Republic Grand Army were declared persona non grata to the very Order they serve. Or served. As of yesterday, at five p.m. galactic standard time, both of the Jedi have left the Order. Their resignation was declared at the Senate meeting when the Jedi, Mace Windu of the Jedi Council informed the Galactic Senate that the two Generals wished to leave the Order, the only home they’ve ever known, but hope to continue serving as Generals in the army.”

She read aloud and added further. “The Jedi Order could not be reached for comment on two of its most decorated Generals leaving - and Master’s Kenobi and Skywalker were not available for questioning.” She snorted, looking to them as she rolled her eyes. “It’s been less than twenty-four hours; you’d think they’d at least  **try** to contact you.”

It was then that Threepio managed to wrangle the controls and the local news popped up in holographic form in front of them all at the table. One of the favorite news casters, Aloria Turkfin, a polite and sharp eyed blue humanoid was announcing with a touch more dramatics than needed:

“ - aking news! The nation is in shock this morning as we learn that Mace Windu, Master Jedi of the Jedi Order, was assassinated last night. We repeat, the Jedi Council member Mace Windu was murdered last night! For those just tuning in, we’ve got the story for you here, on channel Delta-Delta.”

As the lead reporter talked, the camera panned over a small alleyway with yellow-caution tape crisscrossed. Anakin felt his stomach turn as he noticed the stain in front of the alley.  _ Geesh, they’d made it public all right. How they had faked, this would be anyone _ _ ’ _ _ s guess... _ Anakin thought, feeling queasy as the camera changed to a still of Windu. The same one they always used when talking about the Jedi. He had one of his less severe faces on, with brows lax, and an almost smile - like he used to look before the war had taken over everyone's day-life.

All the Jedi General’s had a candid headshot that was used by these news agencies, but Anakin always thought most of the Council got the short end of the stick. Always looking far more severe than they actually were.

“Change the channel to Triad-4, please, Threepio,” Padme ordered, eyes never leaving the holo.

The droid did as bid, and the new channel burst to life to show a Gossam being interviewed by a Twi’lek reporter.

[“I didn’t even know the Jedi could leave!”] The Gossam said, wide eyes blinking slow and long head swaying. [“And we gotta ask ourselves - I mean, we have to, don’t we? We have to ask, what their Council did to make them leave!”]

The Twi’lek reported nodded. It cut to another creature, this one far more humanoid looking. It seemed to be a montage of cut-together-clips. How they had already gotten together enough interviewee’s and managed to put together a newsreel, Anakin would never know, but he listened as person after person all seemed to weigh in on the world.

[“The Jedi control this war - maybe Masters Kenobi and Skywalker grew sick and tired of the heavy-handedness?”]

_**\- snap -** _

[“I think they’re doing the right thing. Don’t know if they can work on freeing those Clones of theirs but I say one step away from the Jedi Order is one step closer to peace! You know what I’m meaning?”]

_**\- snap -** _

[“What I want to know is if Skywalker wants to have a good old roll in the hay! Hey! Skywalker if you’re watching this my name is Anita and I wanna  - ”] The reporter cut off before it could go any farther. Anakin blushed as Obi-Wan and Padme threw him a sort of baffled-amused looks at each-other and then him.

_**\- snap -** _

[“You think they just got sick and tired of being a part of such an organization? You know, the kind that has so much power and uses it so irresponsibly - ”] 

Here the reporter cut off the other Twi’lek. 

[“You think the Jedi Council has been abusing its power?”] 

The Twi’lek snorted. [“Of course! They use their magic powers - and I  **know** they can control people. Who’s to say this isn’t all a giant conspiracy? Huh? We gotta think about this - “]  

The holo abruptly cut off.

Padme and Anakin let out aborted half-shouts as Obi-Wan calmly pulled his hand back. 

“That’s enough of that.”

Anakin protested. “I want to hear what they have to say!”

“It will all be much of the same, you know this,” Obi-Wan sighed, fiddling with the controls. “We shouldn’t listen to such hearsay. It will rot your brains just listening to it.”

Anakin frowned, ready to protest but Padme was already agreeing. 

“He’s right.”

“Padme!”

“No, come on now, Ani,” Padme said, calmly. “There are always going to be people who want to complain, moan, and see conspiracies everywhere. When I was queen, my advisors wouldn’t let me watch the news and instead one of my handmaidens watched for me; then she would give me the highlights and what I needed to be aware of,” With a grimace, Padme added. “And I’ll admit, after my term was up I went back and watched some what I had missed. The majority was nothing but baseless speculations, attacks on mine and my cabinets character, along with wild rumors. The rubbish far outweighed the truth,”

“Still...” Anakin complained. Unlike Padme and Obi-Wan, he liked hearing what people had to say about him. Good or bad. Better to know what people thought of him before they could strike rather than letting it all just fester like a bad wound. He still remembered Tatooine. For all Obi-Wan tried to make him forget with happier memories... that was the thing with memories.

The bad ones stuck around. Lingering. Haunting. Always just on the edge of your mind. 

With a sigh, Anakin finally conceded, and they all returned to their breakfast, deep in thought. Padme going back to reading the news, rather than hearing and seeing it. 

It only took another ten or fifteen minutes for Padme to exclaim. “Oh, oh no, this is not okay,” She winced, eyes flying over the pad. “Oh,  **wow** .”

Anakin sighed, heavily. “Please tell me you're overdoing it? It's no big deal?”

Padme didn’t move her eyes from the pad. 

“I know I said just to ignore but... It’s bad, Ani. Dooku leaving the Order bad.” 

Obi-Wan assumed it was going to be bad. They had basically told the Council, in so many words, to go sit on a sharp spike, but he wasn’t ready for what the papers were actually saying. He wasn’t ready for the rampant discussion that would be generated by this. Ready or not; it had to be dealt with.

“Can you summarize it for us, Senator?” 

“It’s Padme, Obi-Wan,” She reprimanded absentmindedly, not even looking up, before acquiescing. “But, of course, I’ll give you the footnotes.”

“Thank you,  _ Padme _ ,” Obi-Wan was sure to say this time.

She smiled at him, but that quickly fled her face as she began talking, going into business mode.

“I’ll try to pick the most significant bits,” She said, before beginning. “Let’s see... one person is demanding a complete transcript of what transpired in the Council sessions to make both of you leave the Jedi Order. Another called you two brave, but stupid.” 

She ran her finger under a few more paragraphs, lips pursed before she said. 

“ _ Another  _ merely interjected that they didn’t know Jedi could actually leave the Order.” 

Here Obi-Wan and Anakin both snorted. Padme shot them a half-intense, frustrated, look. Obi-Wan raised both hands and leaned back into his chair, trying to back off.

“They, also, were under the assumption that Dooku was kicked out.” 

“They really believed that?” Anakin asked, bemused.

“They did,” Padme confirmed as she continued, finding a different paragraph. “One man with some  _ very colorful language _ took the time to go on a tirade about the Jedi being slavers.” 

She paused only long enough to wrinkle her nose in disgust before continuing. 

“Another asked about the Sith. Another  **compared** you,” She glanced to Anakin. “To the Sith. While another two articles agreed with the Sith article.” She huffed a tired sigh. “It’s like all good journalism died overnight.”

Obi-Wan winced, and Anakin felt shaken, looking a little pale. None of what she had just outlined would ever fly with the Council. Especially the Sith remarks.

“Oh fuck,” Anakin groaned, thunking his head onto the table. “So we’re somewhere between saints and Sith, huh?”

“Closer to saints, it seems,” Obi-Wan breathed as he began reading the article. “Oh, you left out some very colorful language here, Padme, dear,”

“I thought the sentence about having sex with huts and water vaporizers was a little much.” She said, with a flush, before passing the pad over to Anakin. He read over what she’d underlined. Even he blushed. An impressive feat considering he  **knew** how to say that in huttese. 

“Am I missing something?”

Conveniently, they had all been deaf to the steps of their youngest member and Ahsoka had snuck in to see the adults sitting at the table, all trying to hide their worry and ire. Anakin, as always, sought to do his best to summarize for his Padawan. Let it be known he was not the best at it.

“Mace is dead, the general population thinks we’re either Sith or Saints and wants to basically go on a witch-hunt for the reason why we would ever want to leave the Order and the Council.”

“Really Anakin?” Obi-Wan demanded, hand dragging down his face. “Leading with Mace’s death and ending with  **that** ?”

“I summarized,” Anakin shrugged. “So shoot me.”

Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose. “I’d rather not,”

“... Mace is dead?” Ahsoka’s small voice echoed between them all.

Anakin nodded. Wearily, he told his Padawan. “Last night, he was assassinated by a bounty hunter, Rako Hardeen.”

“... and they’re sure he’s dead?” Ahsoka asked, sitting down slowly in shock. “This isn’t like... pretend? A trick?”

This right here. This is why the Council had wanted to use Obi-Wan. Why they wanted to use Anakin’s reaction. To block a bond is not fun, especially not if the other side doesn’t consent to it. Obi-Wan’s death would have been felt around the world, the galaxy. Beings all over would have mourned him. Not only for the help he had bestowed on worlds, but for his work as a General, for his work with Anakin.

Collectively, they would have mourned him greater still if they had seen his former-Padawan holding himself together by his fingertips. Just barely able to keep himself level, rage simmering underneath a careful Jedi-mask that exposed for too much. The Council was not filled with fools. Anakin’s reaction would have sold it. 

Oh, how it would have sold it all too well. Like snake oil to a sick, dying man.

Unfortunately for the Republic, Obi-Wan had said no. Had walked away. Had taken Anakin with him.  In refusing to participate, they had stripped the plan of much of its impact and strength.  They’d effectively declawed the Council as easily as taking away their lightsabers. Something that was cruel of them, sure, but necessary. Yet, the Council had gone through with the plan. With a pang of unwanted understanding, Obi-Wan felt the first stirrings of real self-reproach. Not of leaving, but of weakening his friends, leaving them in the middle of a tense situation with few options and fewer true paths to victory.

It was one thing to abandon someone to their fate that they choose - it was another thing to break oaths.

As a consequence of Obi-Wan’s time as a Jedi, he had become proficient at denying things, and he pushed those feelings away for another day. 

Mace was ‘dead’ after all. He was still part of the living.

“He’s gone, Ahsoka,” Anakin said, hardening himself. “He was shot and fell off a building. We can survive a lot, but ...”

“Not everything,” Ahsoka nodded, sadly. She’d been in battles, fought in the war, and she’d lost friends. Perhaps fewer than most, but still. Grief was grief. Mourning was mourning.  

“That’s horrible.”

“Depa is probably taking this hard,” Obi-Wan muttered, gaze far away. 

Anakin was the only  other one who knew the truth, and he kept it under lock and key. Sighing mournfully, Anakin stared down at the datapad with Mace’s image splashed across it. He looked alive, vibrant, and just as crotchety as always. Anakin knew when they’d taken that photo, too, the day and everything. 

The Council had been called to answer for a failed defense of some planet covered more in water than land. After nearly forty hours of misunderstandings, they’d all been run ragged and being brought before the Senate hadn’t helped. Nearly all the Council had shared the same expression as Mace, but he was the only one who had been splashed across the entire galaxy. His mugshot meant to question everything Jedi.

It just brought back pain at the memory. Which was a surprise, Anakin knew he wasn’t dead.

Anakin’s eyes ghosted over the title, and he sighed, getting up to start the day.

**_[JEDI COUNCIL MEMBER ASSASSINATED. KENOBI AND SKYWALKER LEAVE THE JEDI ORDER. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE WAR?]_ **

* * *

They left. Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan. Bidding Padme goodbye they all left to see to the Council.

They’d pinged them first, of course, but they’d gotten the all clear. Which made Ahsoka prickly, thinking that they should have taken off more of a mourning-day, but Obi-Wan assured her it wasn’t because they didn’t care. It was because the war must go on. There were no days off. Not for them. Not for Jedi. Not for Generals. Not for anyone associated with the war.

Not even these two weeks off were actually free. It was a leave of sorts, but that meant about as much as a lightsaber to a Force-Null. 

Anakin would be on ‘support’ as the Jedi liked to tease him about. Being the face of the Republic Grand Army meant he had to be the literal, actual face. He and Obi-Wan were plastered on sky high buildings, promoting the war and selling the part.

And he was going to have a lot of hard questions to answer.

“Obi-Wan we need to hash out what I’m going to talk about at those stupid galas,” 

Obi-Wan sighed. “We’ll discuss that tonight  **after** we’ve talked with the Council.”

Right. Council first then the rest of the world. Even leaving, their schedule wasn’t much different than their usual every day. Habit. Anakin wanted to tear off and run, never to return, but he’d had a good master, and he hid his desires well.

Arriving at the Temple was... interesting. With the war raging on around them, it was quieter than usual and at nearly a quarter of its normal capacity. Still, there were enough Jedi left to stare at the trio as they traversed the grounds. Unfortunately, none of them were close acquaintances, so they all kept their distance and whispered to each other, stopping and watching. Obi-Wan and Anakin were well used to this kind of behavior when they’d gone around to be political ambassadors and to help keep the peace between two warring factions; Ahsoka, on the other hand, had not.

She glared, arms crossed, hunched as she walked behind her Master’s. Her anxiety and how upset she was hovering between their bond. Anakin sent her soothing waves of calm,  but it only made her more prickly . Wisely, Anakin pulled back. She didn’t need to be managed at a time like this. When she had to stand alone.

Sharing a telling glance, Anakin sighed as Obi-Wan sent him an understanding shrug.

**_:Give her time. This is a lot for all of us.:_ **

**_:I know:_ ** Anakin huffed.  **_:I just... don’t like knowing that the rest of the Jedi are going to take it out on_ ** _ her  _ **_whenever we’re not around.:_ **

**_:It’s her choice to keep you as her Master.:_ **

**_:And it’s up to the Council to honor that choice.:_ **

They both knew that would be the biggest battle of the day. Everything else, everything they’d chosen was done already - living with the consequences was all that was left. For Ahsoka, she still wanted Anakin, and if she wanted to keep him... It was going to be a battle.

Looking back at his Padawan, Anakin felt a deep sadness for her. For all, he was putting her through. This was a trial, in a way, and one she shouldn’t even be forced into. Not yet, anyway. She was still so young.

**_:We made the right choice, right?_ ** : He asked Obi-Wan, just needing the reassurance.

Obi-Wan was quick to provide it.  **_:We follow the Force, not the Council, Anakin. We made the right choice.:_ **

The younger man nodded, feeling a little out of whack. Seeing this, Obi-Wan reached through the bond to sooth his friend. Anakin responded immediately, eyes lighting up as they met his, a smile blossoming as he shut his eyes and took a breath before delving into the feelings between them.

Obi-Wan, too, closed his eyes.

It was only for a second. It needn't be any longer, after all. Bond moments happened in a time-space that neither of them fully comprehended, only knew it took little time at all to share. A second lasted a lifetime of feelings.

They hadn’t done this very often. Obi-Wan pushing to make Anakin stand more on his own two feet. Anakin wanting it, but not sure how to ask without seeming... fragile and frail. Neither wanting to piss the Council off and have their bond be dissolved when it was so useful to them both, in life and on the battlefield.

Obi-Wan shared his strength of conviction, his surety that even though they traveled a path few had taken, they would be okay. He shared his willingness to fight for Anakin. Shared, and soothed, and tried to speak, without words, that it would be all right. They had the Force; they had each other; anything else was moot. Anything else was superfluous.

Anakin relaxed.

In that one second that Obi-Wan and Anakin shared, it became easier to breathe. For  _ both  _ of them. Anakin and Obi-Wan, neither having done any illegal substances, did not understand how addictive their behavior could turn out to be. Not that they necessarily cared now, what with it being them against the world, rather literally, but it was still true. 

Warnings and rules about bonds were one thing, but Obi-Wan pushed those fears and disquiets into the farthest part of his mind as he and Anakin returned to the world of the living to keep moving. Ahsoka hadn’t noticed their momentary pause, lost in her head as she was, so they didn’t see a need to point it out.

As they walked, they were never truly far from their bond. Each sharing their combined strength and leaning on each other, mentally. Reassuring each other.

Arriving at the large doors into the Council chamber, Obi-Wan and Anakin finally unwound themselves. It was one thing to do it on the walk through the Temple. Another thing entirely to do it where the Council themselves would be able to sniff out the differences in their behaviors and synchronicities. 

“We are here to see the Council,” Obi-Wan greeted the young gray, Dathomirian aide at the doors.

“They have been expecting you,” he said, bowing. 

“Wait here, please,” The aide told Ahsoka. “Just Ma-” The young assistant stopped himself from saying ‘Master,' quickly clearing his throat and soldiering on. “Sirs, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.”

_ That didn’t take long. _ Obi-Wan thought. Losing his title of Master wasn’t as much of a blow as he thought it would be. It was... rather freeing.

“We won’t be long, Snips,” Anakin assured her, trying to give Ahsoka a reassuring smile but felt it fall flat. She was quick to go to the far wall and plop down, arms crossed. Anakin sighed and turned to Obi-Wan and the aide.

“Lead the way,” the Chosen one requested, dryly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Holy crap. I managed to get a chapter out a week for a SOLID month. Wow. Good on me! I have NEVER done that before on any of my accounts. Feeling pretty proud of myself :D  
> And I've gotten at least 50 comments! (I always reply, so 100/2) with 50~ bookmarks and tons of kudos.  
> :D :D :D :D  
> Thanks everyone for keeping me rolling this ball along!


	5. Did you think we'd crumble?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Anakin have to face the music. Their decision, which was more following the Force and their own desires than anything, finally bearing fruit in the way of consequences. They are on their own now, and the Council has called them in to set them loose.  
> Ahsoka wants to remain Anakin's Padawan, but will the Council allow it?  
> And... what's up with the Clones?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update day!   
> Once again, more moving the plot forward. Only the first consequence of Obi-Wan and Anakin leaving the order - more arguing with the Council! Ahsoka, the clones, and Dex, too! :)  
> And the votes are mostly for Ani/Pad/Obi - Sooo, that's probably going to be happening but not for a while. Poor Obi-Wan's heart might not be able to take it. I was a little surprised by the dislike of Satine though... I mean, she's gonna be part of this series (arc of Mandalore) but not for a while so maybe I can get you guys to warm up to her by then...  
> Oh well! Hope you guys enjoy!  
> (also little bit of a hint - I reply to all comments and there are some easter-egged spoilers in there if you look hard enough. Happy hunting!)

Most of the Council was here in holographic form, save for Yoda, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto.  Obi-Wan and Anakin walked forward calmly and evenly, cloaked in the Force, to the middle of the chamber. Where they’d been so many times before. The memories were often not the most pleasant, nor the most enlightening, but it had been their lives for such a long, long time. It was hardly easy to forget a lifetime of choices.

“Had some time to think on things Kenobi?” Shaak Ti was the first to ask, her blue face shimmering in the hologram from where she sat.

Obi-Wan gave her a half-bow. “Of course.”

“Come back, you will not, will you, Obi-Wan?” Yoda asked as the aforementioned man walked in the room.

Keeping his head level, Obi-Wan shook his head once, “No. I have made my choice.”

“Worth a try, it was,” Yoda shrugged, sighing. With Mace’s ‘death’ the old Master had taken on a lot of his work that he’d foisted off on the younger man years ago. Obi-Wan silently thought that it served him right, but that was beside the point. He was back to work, not rejoining the Order.

“We heard about Mace...” Anakin prompted. “Hows the... transition going for him?”

Shaak Ti sighed. “He is doing as best as can be expected on such short notice. Death can be... trying, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Obi-Wan nearly snorted.  _ No duh _ . He hadn’t taken Shaak Ti as someone to state the obvious.

“So then the plan is still a-go even though we are not apart of it?” Anakin couldn’t help but ask. He got a nod from a few Council members, and he knew it was only because they’d already known of the plot. No reason to deny it now. “That’s good to hear.”

“He is set to be arrested tonight,” Saesee Tiin added.

Anakin and Obi-Wan had very little to add to that comment. Acknowledging that this could only happen to them, Anakin felt a touch amused. The image of Mace arrested for anything short of murder was preposterous. Though, neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan knew what the bounty hunter's face Mace was wearing even looked like... They’d probably see it tonight on the news.

The Council was silent, and Obi-Wan took it upon himself to start their conversation.

“You’ve requested our presence, can we surmise it’s to give us our marching orders?”

There was no need to beat around the bush. 

“You wish to know where we are going to send you in two weeks?” Shaak Ti asked, with a scoff. 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “If there are no objections, I am going to be going with my troops back to Kamino to train their brothers for the duration of my leave.”

If they were surprised, they showed none of it on their faces. Obi-Wan privately thought that they could do nothing that would surprise the Masters. Not after yesterday, anyway. Though he tried to think of the most outrageous thing he could do and realized kissing Anakin might rank up there.

Ever in control of himself, Obi-Wan just blinked at his thoughts.

_... Now where in the Force did that idea come from? _

Shaak Ti continued, not noticing his momentary blank gaze. “As long as you do not plan on leaving today or tomorrow? Then, yes.”

Obi-Wan cocked his head. “Might I know the reason for such a timetable?”

“Many reasons, there are,” Yoda hummed. Anakin thought he was looking every single day of his 900 years. “Change in status, you both have. Requires us to smooth the proceeding, the senate does. Forms, contracts, needed to be signed. Precedence, set, is required.” 

Understandable. Obi-Wan nodded. They thought that might be the case. Having it hashed out before they left on a mission would be for the best. For all involved. Better to rip the band-aid off first and quickly, rather than let it fester and twitch.

Yoda wasn’t done though.

“For us, for the Jedi Order, we would require you to relinquish your Jedi Titles,”

That didn’t sound...  _ good _ . Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a faint pang of worry and weariness through their bond. They were leaving the order, not the Republic. They were leaving the entity of the Jedi Order, but they were not going to stop being Jedi. Simplistically speaking: Good, not evil. Leaving but not far. Disagreeing, but not on everything. They still followed the Code.

“We did earn our titles,” Obi-Wan reminded, with narrowed eyes. 

Anakin added, crossing his arms. “I agree. We worked hard for our titles.The rest of the world already knows us by our titles, anyway. Leaving the Jedi Order does not mean we’re leaving the way of life.”

“... Keep your Oaths, you will?” Yoda asked, unimpressed.

“Considering none of our Oaths included the Council nor the Jedi Order as an organization,” Obi-Wan started, dryly. “I would think that is a  **given** .” 

He gave no one an opportunity to interrupt him. “We disagree on many things. We agree on many things, too. The many that we do not agree with outweigh what we agree  _ on _ . Too many to comfortably live together, anyway.  _ That  _ is why we are leaving.”

Obi-Wan sighed at the stony faces of the Council. “Honestly, we’re not going to Fall or go Sith, or rampage out into wild space for the hell of it all. Or slaughter innocents just because you will not be holding our hands the entire way. We have our duty. We just...”

Anakin finished for him. “ - Would rather do our duty, not in the same place we live, or the same place you can order us to do something we think is morally reprehensible. Or that we think Jedi should not participate in.”

There were mutters of “- would never -” and “ - how dare you - ” and “ - morally reprehensible? This is war! - ”. Flashes in the Force were bright, quick to live, before being snuffled out or released to the Force. Peace and tranquility returned all too soon, and it was only because it was known, and familiar, that Obi-Wan and Anakin didn’t realize how dangerous that was. To not face your own emotions, to just release them time after time after time.

It wasn’t healthy.

Not that Obi-Wan nor Anakin knew that. Nor would they learn that anytime soon.

“Jedi... you would remain?” Saesee Tin asked, one of the voices that had snarled at them. His mask was one of complete blank thoughtfulness.

Obi-Wan cocked his head. “In so much spirit, yes. We do not agree with the Council, that is not to say we don’t follow the way of life. The Code is our Code, the Jedi are our brethren in the Force, and that will never change,”

Anakin thought to himself that just about all of this was stupid, and he was all right with leaving it all behind, but he had worked hard for his title, just as his Master had. It was a point of pride, and if the only thing they took from the Jedi Order were titles, then Anakin was okay with that. Even if, technically, he’d broken the Code so many times already...

“Discuss this another time, we shall,” Yoda declared after a spot of arguing broke out among the Masters.

**_:Oh that’s going to be fun,:_ ** Anakin told Obi-Wan but said, aloud. “Fine,” 

**_:Like springing a trap,:_ ** Obi-Wan just nodded.

“Alright,” Shaak Ti agreed for them all. “Tabled for another day,”

A shuffling of data pads broke the silence before Kit Fisto pulled out the one he needed.

“We need to discuss what your part in the war shall be. For the administration side, at the very least,”

“Agreed,” Obi-Wan and Anakin said in one breath. The Council all frowned at them in disquiet. They all disliked seeing the physical manifestation of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s bond. It was a sign, to them all, that neither of them were very willing to be without. Each other or the bond.

Kit Fisto began. “Since this is setting a new precedent, we must clarify a few things. First: your rank in the Republic Grand Army shall continue to remain as is, no demotions. Second, as long as you can continue to follow your superiors orders we shall have no grounds to dismiss you from the Army. Third - “

Anakin interrupted. 

“Wait. Wait.  _ Wait _ . You want to dismiss us if we don’t follow orders?” He snorted. “You really think that will go over well? Half of our successful battles have been won by  _ disobeying  _ your orders,”

There was a groan from Plo, even galaxies away. Kit Fisto rolled his eyes, but it was Shaak Ti who answered for them all. That calm manner of hers welcome.

“Skywalker, we are aware you have had to be... creative with our orders,” Kit Fisto was clearly straining a muscle keeping himself contained form bursting a vein. “But this is so we may set down ground-rules for any outside the Order who wish to rise to the rank of General.”

“Not everything is about you,” Kit Fisto added, snarkily.

Anakin, for once, ignored the slight as he nodded.  _ Fine, it made sense _ . He had just wanted to make a big deal about something. This seemed the easiest thing. If he put up a fight over one thing, they wouldn’t expect him to raise a stink about something else. He was notorious for snapping his jaws onto something and holding on for dear life as they tried to shake him.

_ Rise to the rank? _ Obi-Wan and Anakin both perked up at that. Sharing a pleased and surprised look with his younger cohort, Obi-Wan asked. “Wait. Are you saying the Clones would have the same chance as any Jedi to be granted General status?”

It was a step up for one. A big one. One that would never have been brought forward had Obi-Wan and Anakin stayed in their positions allocated in life.

The Council was quick to shoot down that line of thought.

“Not the clones, not yet. One thing at a time, please, Obi-Wan,” Shaak Ti said, but she was at least amused this time. “The Clones are still not considered true Citizens of the Republic, much to our consternation, but those that are citizens and who wish to join the ranks and move up the proverbial ladder - Yes. They would be in the same position as you find yourself,”

**_:How did one move up the ladder without first serving?:_ ** Anakin asked, wearily. 

**_:That’s what I want to know._ ** : But Obi-Wan wisely kept his questions until the end. He, unlike Anakin, had control.

“These documents,” Kit Fisto held up a datapad. “Are your new contract with the Republic. Since you are no longer part of the Order, we must finalize these issues today. The matters of concern are the following: Where you would like to live, your salary, benefits, and also we need your signature on these contracts. After you look them over, of course.”

Obi-Wan was first. “Contracts?”

Anakin had a different first thought because he was baffled by the idea of money. “Salary?”

Lips twitched as the Council nodded. Shaak Ti took pity on them, explaining. “Seeing as you will not be a part of the Order, we can not support you. Legally. The Republic will be taking on your contracts, as they are. We are not who you are going to be negotiating with. You must take these documents after this meeting and meet with the Chancellor to create a legal precedent for cases such as these. Though, please don’t go around stealing your fellow Jedi to your way of thinking -” She pleaded, tired, as she dragged a hand down her face. “We have also been  _ advised  _ to advise  **you** to...” 

There was a general feeling of unease. 

“Get a lawyer.”

Obi-Wan blinked. Anakin nodded, he’d heard Padme talk about Lawyers, plus he’d had lessons in the political and judicial landscape of most planets. Coruscant was like any other planet, except it housed the Senate. It had the Chancellor and the Senate, with the judiciary, with lawyers, judges, enforcers, and any other parts of a Republic system like any other planet. 

“This is... extensive,” Obi-Wan said, looking over the list of things that had been compiled on the datapad for them. Hearing it spoken had made it seem so much... simpler. Anakin peeked over his elbow to look, too, and winced. 

_ Ugh. Yeah. Not fun.  _

The first item on the list was getting a lawyer. And Anakin promptly stopped reading as Obi-Wan reprimanded him through the bond.

“Will that be all that is required of us?” Obi-Wan asked, eyes still on the pad in front of him.

The Council stopped to deliberate for a moment. 

It was evident they wanted to dig deeper, to question more, but they held back. Well, most did. Yoda did not.

“Mistake, this is,” The Grand-Master said. “Anger, this decision was made in. A path you have taken, none of the Council or Jedi can follow. On your own, hmm, you both will be.”

Obi-Wan pointedly tucked the list into his pocket. 

“That,” he said, calm as any Jedi was before the storm. “has been made abundantly clear to us.”

Everyone tensed, a few even looking to Anakin for his opinion. Sighing, he gave it. 

“We are following the Force, Masters. And no matter if that is the wrong decision for you, it is the right decision for us. Or are we all just going to forget we follow the Force?”

None of them liked to be reprimanded by anyone younger than them. Especially by Skywalker. But the younger man had a point, and even if none of them agreed - they followed the Force. And if the Force was really behind this decision - which none of them really thought it was - they should be celebrating the decision.

Only they couldn’t because it went against everything they knew.

None of the Council spoke.

“Anything you have to ask us, Obi-Wan?” Shaak Ti asked, kindly, as if Anakin hadn’t just called out the entire Order... Again.

“A few questions, yes,” Obi-Wan confirmed before starting in. “First: I understand that the Clones are not Republic Citizens, but I find that I can no longer accept that stance. It will be one of my first acts as a free agent apart from the Order. I feel I should warn you.”

Kit Fisto puffed up, sitting straighter. “Is there a point to this?”

“Yes,” He responded, glaring back. “I must ask if you will be on my side when I take up such a position?”

The Council was once again silent. 

“Discuss this, we must,” Yoda said, tapping his cane on the floor. “Next question.”

Obi-Wan nearly sneered and stopped all conversation there. It was one thing he hated about the Council and was not going to miss. How a straight answer was never as forthcoming as his own were. With one person, it was one answer. With the Council, it was one answer, voted on by every single one of them. Obi-Wan let his ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and his ‘no’ be ‘no.' He rarely backtracked from a point he felt strongly about, and he knew many on the Council felt the same way - but they all rarely spoke individually. And that was a problem.

He found he didn’t want to ask his next question. So...

He didn’t.

“That is all from me.” He stated. “Anakin?”

“There is one more thing we,” Anakin gestured to them both. “Would like to discuss.”

“Speak, Skywalker.”

“Padawan Ahsoka Tano has requested to continue training under me, as her Master.”

The room quieted of all whispers.

“She wishes to train to be a Jedi... under you, still?” Kit Fisto asked, face, and force presence, carefully blank. Anakin was very familiar with him and Mace sneering without sneering, being disquieted without showing they were feeling it. It made his nose flare as he took a deep calming breath.

“Yes, Master Fisto,” Anakin nodded, holding his tongue. “She will be ready to take her Trial within the year. I am more than willing to continue our apprenticeship, as this war continues. We already have a successful partnership and a strong teaching bond, and we both wish to keep it till its conclusion,” Feeling a little insolent, he added. “Plus, it's not like her role will change. I, personally, would rather she be battling with clones she knows and trusts than sending her to another Master and Troopers to learn the Jedi way,”

“We must discuss this,” Saesee Tiin said, finally getting into the conversation. He made it clear that they were needed to clear the room. “We may have to deliberate for a while, and we are aware you need to accomplish much today. Please come back at...” He gauged the room. “Six tonight.”

Obi-Wan and Anakin knew when they were dismissed. It was an odd feeling to know they’d be back and that that might be their last time...

Turning they were stopped short as Shaak Ti called out, “Oh, and Kenobi? Skywalker??”

As one they turned, which caused a few frowns to bloom on holographic faces. “Yes?”

“Send in Padawan Ahsoka Tano, please? We would like her opinion on matters as they stand.”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan conceded, bowing his head. Anakin follows his lead.

Then they turned and left. This time, no one calling out for them to stop.

* * *

“They’re waiting for you,” Anakin said, watching his Padawan tense up. Her eyes flickered between the both of them nervously.

“You’re not coming in with me?” She demanded, in a smaller voice. One she hadn’t spoken to him with for ages. It made her seem her age. Just a kid, stuck in an impossibly hard place between the only support system she knew and trusted - and the people she had relied on for her well-being.

Suddenly, she  **was** her age in Anakin’s eyes. No longer just a Padawan that was capable of taking on anything he threw at her but a child much as he had been. Superimposed over her face, was what he remembered from the first time he’d met her. A little kid with a big head and a bigger heart, staring at him with wide eyes, begging him to do something - begging him to be something, for  _ her _ . Before it had been training, now it was... it was to keep her. And they were once again at the mercy of the Council.

The parallels he drew between his own slave Master and the Council just kept coming.

His heart beat hard at that, and he reached out to tug her into a hug, tucking her close. 

“You’ll do great, Snips,” He whispered into her lekku. “Just remember that we  _ all _ want what is best for you and you’ll come out of this just fine.”

She buried her face into his shoulder, arms winding around him with notable strength, and shook. 

The aide was standing outside the doors uncomfortably watching the hug with something akin to terror. That, more than anything, prompted Obi-Wan to join in. His arms came around his Padawan and grand-Padawan, making them both jump.

“You’ll do fine,” He assured the  Togruta . Unconsciously assuring Anakin as well. “It will all work out the way the Force wills it.”

Ahsoka sniffled. “Like it did for you two?”

Stiffening Obi-Wan was reminded just how astute and observant she was. With a small smile, he nodded. 

“Yes, I suppose as it did for us.” 

Tremors subsiding, Ahsoka managed a deep breath - breathing in their combined scent, before she seemed to steady herself. She raised her chin, sniffled once more, before untangling herself from first Obi-Wan’s arms then next Anakin’s. 

“I’ve got this,” She told herself. “ _ I’ve got this. _ ”

“You’ve got this,” Anakin confirmed, punching her shoulder playfully. 

She gave him one more weak, brittle smile, before turning to the door. A pause before she continued. 

“...You’ll be here when I’m done... right?”

“We have some things to do - “ Anakin began but was cut off by Obi-Wan. “We’ll be here.”

**_:Master?:_ ** He shot the other man a sharp glare.

**_:The list can wait, Anakin,:_ ** Obi-Wan assured, keeping his face closed off as Ahsoka left them. Not dropping his mask until she was safely ensconced behind doors. “She’s scared, Anakin, and the Council won’t interrogate her the entire time. An hour, maybe two. We have all day,” Then he sighed. “Call to the Chancellor's office first... Though a trip to the Barracks wouldn’t be remiss of us.”

Anakin winced, remembering what the Council had said.

“Yeah, you think they’ll wait for you for a day?”

Obi-Wan gave him an ‘are-you-serious’ look.

“Right. Of course, they will,” Anakin snorted in amusement, looking back at the door. “We’re their Generals after all, and this  **is** Cody we’re talking about,”

* * *

They miraculously got on the Chancellor's timetable for a noon and, unfortunately, Anakin was right, as he usually was. Which made him just completely insufferable.

“We can wait a day, sir,” Cody assured them both, with a stiff back, and yet he seemed to be even more relaxed than his ex-Jedi Generals. “Having you with us will far outweigh a single day of training our brothers alone, sir.”

“Excellent, Commander,” Obi-Wan told him graciously, but then left it open ended so his troops could decide the time. “Then let us plan to leave tomorrow, late afternoon?”

Cody and Rex had a short conversation about supplies, the ships they’d be taking, crew, and the like. Nodding to show they both agreed, Cody offered up, “Nineteen-hundred standard good for you, General?”

“Perfect.” Obi-Wan accepted, honestly. 

“And you General Skywalker,” Rex asked with a smirk tugging at his lips. “You sure you don’t want to come with, sir?”

It was a playful jab. Skywalker hadn’t gone to Kamino except when the Council had demanded it of him to pick up his new troops - which wasn’t often. He, like Kenobi, worked tirelessly to protect their troopers. Occasionally, often enough, not even they could plan for all contingencies. They’d lost soldiers. This was war, after all. 

Additionally, they all knew about Padme in one way or another. You couldn’t hide a crush of Anakin’s size on any kind of ship. Let alone the size of the  **_Resolute_ ** or the  **_Negotiator_ ** .

Anakin just rolled his eyes. 

“One Jedi is more than enough to entertain the Shinies, Rex,” He gave him his best ‘General’ smile. “I appreciate the offer though. Perhaps next time,”

“Always willing to accommodate, sir,” Rex threw back. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t have to. 

“I do believe we should head back, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, as he looked at his chrono. He explained to Rex and Cody, “We promised to be waiting for Ahsoka when she finished with the Council.”

That made the two clones perk up. 

Wearily, Cody asked. “Is something wrong? Why is she going before the Council, sir?”

“She wishes to keep me as her Master,” Anakin answered, patting Obi-Wan on his shoulder. “Considering we both are no longer Jedi or at least part of the Order, it is up to them if she will be allowed to continue in her capacity as a Padawan of the Order in our care.”

Cody and Rex both relaxed. “Would the Council really forbid her from continuing her Apprenticeship simply because of an opposing viewpoint?”

“One would hope not,” Obi-Wan muttered under his breath, arms crossed and hand at his beard, tugging nervously.

Rex’s eyes narrowed harshly. “With all due respect, sir, that’s a load of bantha shit.”

Anakin flashed him a grateful look for that, but before he could thank him, Cody butted in. 

“It’s not just a load of bantha shit; it could cost Commander Ahsoka her life. Leaving a known Master to enter into an entirely new situation... This far into the war...” It was evident they’d thought about such a thing at length, so Obi-Wan and Anakin could only blink, stunned, as Cody continued. “The Council has been making more and more questionable decisions as of late. You’d think they  **wanted** the war to continue,” 

Then he paused. 

“No offense meant, of course, General Skywalker, General Kenobi. There are just too few Jedi to go around. Let alone Force-Sensitives willing to go to battle for the Republic. To make such a foolish decision in regards to Commander Ahsoka... we sincerely hope they do not.”

**_:That had to be a new record,_ ** : Anakin thought to Obi-Wan, a little stunned. 

**_:Most words spoken goes to my Commander,:_ ** Obi-Wan felt a little at a loss. **_:And_ ** _ half  _ **_of those words could be considered treasonous.:_ **

Feeling a little queasy, Anakin agreed.

**_:Well, it’s a good thing we don’t answer to the Council any longer,:_ **

Obi-Wan paused at that. **_:... Perhaps that is why he felt free enough to air these concerns with us?:_ **

**_:Because we no longer owe our allegiance to the Order?:_ ** Anakin pondered. He saw that Obi-Wan had a point. Hell, the change that had taken over the troopers, damn near over night, was  _ overwhelming _ . Anakin had already had three of his soldiers outright ask him things they would usually have reserved for their higher-ups. Chatting as if it were completely natural. Menial concerns, light chit-chat, and friendly smiles as if they were brothers. Anakin hadn’t realized how different the Clones had treated him and Obi-Wan before he was treated like  _ kin _ .

**_:I’ll have to look into this change when I go to Kamino,:_ ** Obi-Wan sighed.  **_:For now, we should treat them as we always have.:_ **

With respect, dignity, and a measure of openness they knew was missing from many other Jedi Generals. These were their men after all. They may not have tamed them, trained them, or armored them, but they would protect them with their lives if need be.

The exchange lasted a second, but Anakin and Obi-Wan were on the same page as to proceed.

“Commander,” Obi-Wan bowed, as he usually did. “Your words have been heard and believe me - we’ve already said as much to the Council. Please do excuse us. We must be there for Ahsoka when she finished then we have quite the list of things to accomplish. We’ll be back tomorrow.”

Rex and Cody seemed not to see anything wrong with their new lot in life and quickly saluted them off. Throwing a smile in for good measure before they walked out, talking about strategies they’d use to teach their brethren.

_ The change in their troops wasn’t alarming, _ Obi-Wan convinced himself as he and Anakin departed back to the temple.  _ It wasn’t. _

Still, he couldn’t help a backward glance to see just how at ease his troopers were. Sitting, chatting, talking with each other and teasing each other. All in front of their Generals, which was a rare thing outside of the mess-hall.

A rare thing indeed.

Obi-Wan had many questions for Kamino.

* * *

Once they returned to the Temple, it was not a long wait for their Padawan to be released from the Council chambers. In fact, they’d been chatting about nothing in particular (except calling Padme after lunch to talk about Lawyer options) trying to keep the peace and ignore the looming list of things they had to accomplish when the doors opened, and they both hopped to their feet, trying not to seem too eager. If the aide’s face said anything, it was that they’d apparently failed.

“Ahsoka,” Anakin greeted, somewhere between warm and strangled, as the youngest member of their trio came forward.

Obi-Wan noticed the shellshocked face she wore before Anakin did. 

“Did it go alright?” He couldn’t help but ask. “Ahsoka?”

As she walked closer, they could tell she was shaking. Quickly moving forward they managed to corral her to the benches, where she collapsed, wide eyed. She was still trembling, faintly, but that could be chalked up to anything. She’d been in there for well over an hour, after all.

Anakin tried again. “Ahsoka?”

“Yeah, uhm, sorry, just - “ She took a deep breath. “Gimmie a tick, Master?”

“Of course,”

Obi-Wan and Anakin collapsed on either side of her. Scooting as close to her as they could, offering comfort through warmth and closeness, they waited for her to get her wits about her. 

“They said yes,” She said, turning to Anakin, finally. 

She didn’t sound thrilled though. Obi-Wan at least relaxed while Anakin tensed up.

“You don’t sound as if that’s a good thing,” Anakin said, slowly testing out the words. She shook her head, and he wasn’t quite sure if it was because she was agreeing or disagreeing. A little worried now, he prompted. “What happened?”

“Uhm, they - uh - they had a lot of questions, at first,” Ahsoka said, bravely sitting up, lacing her fingers to hide the shaking. “I, uhm, I answered honestly, and it took a really long time. It seemed like forever. And not all of their questions were nice, and I defended you as best I could, I really did, but they - they really didn’t seem to be moved by my answers. And I was just so nervous that I’d say something wrong! I’d never been before the whole Council alone before!”

_ So that was it _ , Anakin relaxed, placing his own hand on top of her own on her lap. Going before the Council solo was a daunting task for any Jedi. Anakin didn’t even really like to think about doing it, even now. 

“You did admirably, Ahsoka. I’m very proud of you, no matter what,”

She sent him a grateful smile, which was weak and twitchy, and an even warmer feeling through the Force. Something like gratitude and just a heaving relief it was over.

“And then, in the end, they said I could continue to train with you, but they had a list of rules,” She reached into her pocket then, pulling out a crumpled piece of  flimsiplast . “Uhm, and that if you or I break any of these rules, then I have to be transferred to a new Master, or...” She went a pale. “Or I could leave the Order, like you two did.”

Obi-Wan carefully took the list while Anakin praised her, trying to get her mind off of what was probably a very traumatic moment in the young Togruta’s life. He hoped, desperately, that there wouldn’t be any more unforeseen visits to the Council chamber, but realized she’d probably be debriefed, alone, if the Council had its way, for the foreseeable future - at least until she took her Trials.

As Obi-Wan read the list, he let out a sigh of relief. 

It was the usual concerns the Council had, just written out instead of purely expected. Almost like a contract rather than simple words of agreement of how Jedi should conduct themselves. 

“This isn’t so bad,” He assured the young man and the  Togruta to his left. “A little wordy, but it's basically the standards Jedi uphold themselves to - just they probably feel they need to write it down and make it clear to you that anything outside of these guidelines is un-Jedi-like behavior.”

Anakin frowned. He was smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for. “Basically saying they don’t trust us not to screw up her education, huh?”

“Crudely put, Anakin,” Obi-Wan gave him ‘the-look.' “But not wrong.”

“So nothing really has to change?” Ahsoka asked, brightening up. She’d even stopped shaking.

“No, nothing has to change - the worst you’ll probably be in for is more frequent visits to the Council chamber alone.”

Making a face, she whispered, “Awww damn.”

“Ahsoka!” Both Anakin and Obi-Wan reprimanded at once, which caused a smile to light up the young woman’s face. Then, without any warning, she’d turned around and wrapped each of them up in a one-arm, one-sided hug.

She whispered as if afraid they could hear, “ _ I was so worried I’d be reassigned.” _

Anakin, if possible, felt even worse. 

“I wouldn’t have given you up without a fight, snips,” He promised, holding on tight. 

Obi-Wan shared the sentiment. “Neither would I.”

Ahsoka was all cried out from last night, but she sniffled once, pulling back to wipe at her eyes before smiling brightly. Quickly bouncing back was a gift of youth, and Ahsoka had that in spades. 

“Let’s go celebrate, huh?”


	6. A Whole Life to Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Anakin have lunch with Ahsoka. The Council gossips. Our duo goes to negotiate their new place in the Republic with the Chancellor (with success and also some confusion). And the Chancellor... well he reveals a few plots internally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Last weekend I had a lot going on (I did a startup weekend and got second place, so how-bout-tha, but I seriously need sleep so have mercy on me), so I just skipped updating so I could flesh this out and unknot the kinks in this chapter. Also - I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT ANAKIN'S MOM IS ALREADY DEAD??? So like, yeah, that will be addressed sometime. Probably within this story arc. Maybe next story arc.   
> Anywhoos - This chapter was a freakin' BEAST to write because of reasons. Reasons you will understand once you read. I hope I did you guys justice with the whole salary dealio, and where they are going to live, and also - the Council!  
> Thanks again to all you readers, kudo'ers, subscribers, and reviewers! And a special thanks to my beta-person!

With eight hours to go until they were required back at the Council chambers, and further an hour or so until they needed to meet with the Chancellor; Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker took their Padawan to their favorite diner for an early lunch.

“Obi-Wan! Anakin! Ahsoka!” Dex greeted them with a broad grin that should have looked predatory but could only be translated as warm to anyone who knew the Besalisk. “I’ve been watching the news,” He said, shaking a finger at them. “Jedi no more, huh?”

“Hello Dex,” Obi-Wan greeted, as they slid into a free booth. “And yes, Anakin and I have left the Order. Technically, that means we are no longer Jedi - but we still are, at heart.”

“Say no more, Obi-Wan,” The besalisk stated, proudly. “I know when to shut my trap.” He mimed zipping his over-large mouth shut.

“We appreciate that,” Anakin said, truly grateful.

“Well, you didn’t come here to talk politics,” Dex said, with a happy shrug. “What can I get for ya?”

“Nerf steak,” Ahsoka piped in, quickly.

“Protato wedges and gastro eggs,” Anakin said, gesturing to both Obi-Wan and himself with two fingers. Dex knew their orders by heart, so it was hardly necessary. 

“Coming right up!”

And then Dex was gone, knowing when to leave well enough alone. It was the beautiful thing about this diner besides the information Dex liked to share in return for favors. Dex was aware of when to piss off and when to sit and listen and when to talk someone's ear off. He was good like that.

“So... you guys are crashing at Padme’s place, right?” Ahsoka said, twiddling her fingers. “I mean, I know I’ll be staying at the Temple, but what about you guys?”

Obi-Wan pulled out the datapad he had been given. “That’s on the list. Number 5: Negotiate with the Chancellor. There are many sub-points to that one, which includes salary, housing, and general assignments.”

“Salary?” She said, blinking wide eyes. “That’s... that’s where you get paid a set amount every year, right?”

Anakin was the one who answered. “It is. Padme explained it to me last night as a set amount the Government, or your employers think your worth is to their company. Then you spend it how you want,”

“That’s weird,” Ahsoka said, cocking her head. “I mean, it makes sense, but it’s also just bizarre.”

They chatted about other things after that. What planets would be next to join the Separatists, which people would join back with the Republic, and what was up with Ahsoka’s age mates. Many were in Command positions like she was, but not nearly dealing with the war like Ahsoka was. Trying very hard to stay away from the subject looming over their heads, they talked until their food came a mere five minutes later.

“Had your orders started before you even sat down,” Dex preened at their surprised and delighted faces. 

“You’re just that good,” Anakin praised, smiling brightly. 

Dex was a bright spot in the Force as he waltzed his way back to his kitchen to keep cooking.

After that, they ate in silence and didn’t break it even after they’d finished eating. Anakin stared out the window, deep in thought as Ahsoka tore her napkin into itty-bitty pieces. Obi-Wan went through the list, making sure he would have plenty of time to complete each objective before he left tomorrow. As it was, he figured he had a few hours of downtime that wasn’t set aside specifically for sleep.

“Desert?” Dex asked as he came to clear away the dishes. “Fresh husterberry pie?”

Enthusiastic ‘Yes!’s greeted his proclamation and he grinned while serving them their pie.

In companionable silence, they ate. Ahsoka finishing off her pie in record time and licking the spoon. Anakin and Obi-Wan watching her, amused. Then she sat and watched them finish their desserts, waiting patiently.

As soon as the last bite was in Anakin’s mouth she burst out, “So what’s the plan?”

“The plan?” Obi-Wan echoed.

“The  **plan** ,” Ahsoka confirmed, face severe and acute. “Like... where do we go from here?”

“Life will continue as usual,” Anakin said, which earned him a mocking glare from his Padawan. “No. I’m serious. We’ll work. We’ll train. We’ll take our two weeks of vacation to sort out what we’ll do when we’re planetside, and from there we’ll figure it out,”

Ahsoka stared at him. “Really?”

“Really.”

“... Then what was the point of all.... this?” She waved her hands emphatically around her head.

Obi-Wan took point. “The point is that we follow the Force, not the Council, Ahsoka,”

“But the Council follows the Force,”

Ahsoka said it like any Padawan with unshakable faith in her superiors would. Like Anakin and Obi-Wan would have when they’d been younger. No longer, though. The time for sticking one’s head in the sand was far past.

“No,” Anakin stated, leaning back to cross his arms over his chest. “They do what is best for the  **Jedi** . Historically, the two have not been contradictory,”

Obi-Wan thought that was a very astute observation and added, “Until now.”

“You both always tell me to follow the Force,” Ahsoka said, biting her lip and hunching over to put her chin on her crossed hands. “And I have. On the battlefield, the Force has saved my life more often than not. But I don’t get how the Force could be telling you guys to change your whole lives and yet... not?”

“It’s not about changing our lives, our duties,” Obi-Wan said softly. “It’s about following the Force. It’s not always the large divisions that make the hardest choices. Sometimes, just one small change will affect the galaxy. We will be doing our best to continue as if nothing has changed, but it has. Everyone knows it has. And that’s going to have consequences,”

“Like leaving the Order and not living in the Temple any longer,” Ahsoka breathed. “I’m sorry Masters. I don’t think I’ll ever understand,”

“You will,” Anakin soothed, patting her arm. “The Force has given us a direction. We’ll follow it till its end,”

There was no more talk of their decisions after that for Dex came back to chat about inconsequential nothingness. It was a pleasant change and Anakin, and Obi-Wan jumped in feet first to that conversation. With gusto.

After that, it was simply a matter of sending Ahsoka back to the Temple as they went to their meeting with the Chancellor.

* * *

While Obi-Wan and Anakin entertained and distracted Ahsoka, the Council did what the Council did best:

Gossiped.

“What’s next?” Eeth Koth asked, leaning back in his seat. Sighing. “Jedi on the battlefield. Jedi leaving the order. A Jedi Padawan wanting to study under a non-Jedi Master, and us allowing it. Next, we’re going to have a Sith springing up from the woodwork, and convincing us that  _ they’re _ the good guys,”

“They’ll be back,” Adi Gallia said. “We are all they know. And they are Jedi. No matter what they say. Jedi know Jedi best,”

“Simple, it is not,” Yoda said, his frown pronounced. 

Ki-Adi-Mundi scoffed. “It’s never simple,” 

“And never simple when it comes to those two in particular,” Plo Koon added. Seeing Ahsoka standing by herself and answering all their questions had... drained him. The poor thing, she didn’t deserve to be in the middle of this. Skywalker’s and Kenobi’s choices aside, she was still just a Padawan. She shouldn’t have to stand before them as if she were on trial. And he knew that that had been how she’d seen it. Being on trial, a trial she had no hope of winning. But she’d jutted out her chin, had tucked her shaking hands away, and answered all their questions honestly, truthfully, and with no wavering.

She was a testament to her Master’s teaching, no matter how little patience Skywalker usually had.

“... And if they do not come back? If they do not return?” Oppo Rancisis interjected, quietly.

“Then,” Plo Koon stated. “We’ll do what we must for the good of the Jedi and the Republic,”

Kit Fisto added “As we always will,”

“... Even if it means those two go down?”

“Lost many, we already have,” Yoda said. “Two more, break us, it would. Heal, in time; we would,” 

He just couldn’t manage any kind of youthful glow at the moment. He just looked aged and decrepit, the Force not helping in the slightest.

“We can’t honestly be considering...” Ki-Adi-Mundi didn’t complete that though, instead snapped. “Oh for Force sake! Merely because they were following the Force and we didn’t like the way they went about it?”

“The Force, this was not,”

Ki-Adi-Mundi glared at Yoda. “The Force, it was! How would you know what the Force is telling them, huh? Been eavesdropping on their meditations?”

No one had a response to that. 

“I say let them go,” Shaak Ti stated, firmly, though her hologram wavered. “They want to continue fighting for us. They follow the Code, still. They are Jedi, Grey Jedi, albeit, but Jedi nonetheless. Lost sheep. There is no reason to forcibly steer them back to us. As the Force wills it, the Force will will it.”

“Enough,” Kit Fisto said. “We should discuss this later. After Skywalker and Kenobi come back to report,”

Ki-Adi-Mundi agreed. As did most of them. There were only a few grumbled protests, but they fell on deaf ears. It was not like the majority would not get their way, after all. What was good for one Jedi was good for all Jedi.

“We have much to go over concerning them,” Agen Kolar said his first words of the night.

Plo Koon sighed as they started with how to categorize the two Jedi, not-Jedi, and how to best use them now. How to best place them. How to best send them to fight, for it was clear that they would be fighting together from now on - for everything. 

It was going to be a long Council meeting.

* * *

 

“Anakin, my dear boy,” Chancellor Palpatine greeted, rising from his desk to come around and properly welcome them. “And Master Kenobi - that is still correct, isn’t it? Leaving the Order doesn’t negate your titles, right?”

It didn’t sound like a jab at an open wound, the Chancellor wasn’t usually like that, but Obi-Wan felt it all the same. 

“I did earn my title,” The Master ex-Jedi assured him. “Even if the Council wants to take it away, I’d be rather a bit put off. So unofficially, if it comes to that, yes.”

Palpatine looked saddened by that information. 

“Rather a horrible thing for a group to do, isn’t it? You’ve given much to the cause, Master Kenobi, and they’d rather just send you on your way like that.” The old man shook his head. “Hardly seems fitting, is all, I suppose.”

Obi-Wan had been around politicians his entire life, so he knew a sincere statement when he heard it. The Chancellor was channeling a lot of sadness and hopelessness these days, even before he and Anakin had left the Order and brought this to his feet. Obi-Wan bowed slightly. It was only polite, after all. “Thank you, Chancellor. I appreciate the sentiment.”

“I also heard about what happened to Master Windu,” The Chancellor echoed genuine contrition and sadness in the Force. “He was a good man, an honorable Jedi, and a superb General to the Republic, even if we did not see eye to eye on all matters,”

Obi-Wan and Anakin both nodded. The elder sighing and trying to echo that same feeling, “He was. He will be missed dearly.”

“He’s part of the Force, now,” Anakin added, thoughtfully. 

Obi-wan echoed the sentiment, as he would for any truly fallen Jedi or comrade.

“It’s hard to believe you all haven’t been given leave to mourn,” The Chancellor mused, softly. “I understand why, of course, but even Jedi grieve, do they not? I hope you boys know I'm here if you ever need to talk or if you require anything.”

Anakin smiled awkwardly, hand reaching up to rub the back of his head. 

“Uhm, well, yes, but we’ll be fine.” Trying to cut the awkwardness of the moment he added, “It’s not like Master Windu is the first Jedi to fall during this War.”

Obi-wan quickly cut in, so Anakin would continue to make an ass of himself. “Nor will he be the last. And what Anakin  _ means _ ,” He stressed, poking at Anakin’s bond in a silent reprimand, “is that we thank you for your kind offer, but we are managing for the moment. Master Windu is now one with the Force, as we all will be one day. So we do not mourn him as he is still among us. Just not physically.”

The Chancellor took it all in stride and nodded. “Of course, Master Kenobi, I understand.”

“All talk of mourning and apologies aside,” Palpatine said, gesturing to his couches and chairs, “Shall we begin the negotiations?”

The Chancellor took the time to get them all settled in his sitting area, each on their own chair, with a pot of tea in front of them. Which Obi-Wan gladly partook of. Anakin waving off his offered cup from his Master as he and the Chancellor exchanged pleasantries. Obi-Wan’s eyes caught an impressive looking shield-type crude sculpture by the far wall.

Palpatine was sharp as ever and saw him looking. 

“Ah, a good eye, Master Kenobi,” He said. “That is a new piece in my collection - “ Then he paused as if he’d been ready to tell its story - “Anakin has told you how fascinating I find all things of the Force, surely?” 

Obi-Wan nodded.  _ Of course. It came up in conversation. _ Anakin and the Chancellor had been friends for a long time, which would have made him nervous had the old man even  _ tried  _ putting any extra charm into his meetings with Anakin - but he’d been nothing but polite, supportive, and friendly. Something that had been in short supply when Anakin had been but a boy, a damaged boy who just needed attention and love. Obi-Wan still wasn’t exactly sure how the Jedi had managed to be so wrong-footed with him, but they’d managed it with them both. And the consequences were rearing their ugly heads.

“He’s mentioned you collected artifacts?” Obi-Wan prompted, once again remaining polite. He knew business would come soon enough and was rather dreading it.

“Yes, those make up the majority of my collection, but I also have scrolls and writings,” The Chancellor said. “I’ve done my research, too, mind - you wouldn’t begrudge an old man a story or two, would you?”

Who was Obi-Wan to say no to the Chancellor of the Republic? 

_ Especially  _ when he’d agreed to meet with them on such short notice?

So he said, “Of course not, please,” He gestured. “Go ahead.”

“Bear with me for but a moment, but I do have some sense to my ramblings.” He gave Obi-Wan a genial smile as he began. 

“Before the Jedi were solely the Jedi, there were many Force-Sensitive groups in the galaxy. As the Republic formed, many died out, if not in entirety, then at least in name, and as they died out it became easier to support one group of people than a large handful of individuals. There are, of course, the Sith to think of as well - but they were always a group on the outskirts of society.” 

He shook his head as if amused. 

“As for those that were Force-Sensitive and well practiced, there were many names for them in every culture. It’s hard to remember that before we were the Republic, we were all but planets unto ourselves.”

Obi-Wan knew this, of course, but he wasn’t about to interrupt. He sipped his tea as he listened.

“I’m getting to the point, I promise, my dear boy - “ And it had been a long, long time since Obi-Wan had been called ‘boy’ by anyone, save Yoda. Still, he gave the man an amused look as he let him continue. The Chancellor caught it and had enough grace to look sheepish. “What I am trying to say, Master Kenobi is that the Jedi have not always been the be-all, know-all. Leaving them should be a choice if one should choose it, and even though I will never understand the draw to be in such an organization or to leave it, I would think it only right that every single Jedi knows they have the choice,”

Oddly touched, Obi-Wan bowed his head. Palpatine wasn’t finished, either and added. “You should be commended for your bravery, not dragged through the mud and stripped of all your hard-won titles,”

Anakin beamed at the man, and Obi-Wan felt a little better. It was always nice to have someone on your side, in your corner. And having the absolute authority of the government agreeing made something within Obi-Wan settle. The Force was whispering to him, again, but that was the thing with the Force - sometimes it was just damn hard to listen and understand. 

Though he had an inkling, it was whispering something about ‘change.'

“We appreciate your support, Chancellor,” Obi-Wan said.

“Now that that’s been cleared up,” Palpatine winked. “I suppose we should get to the boring bits, aye?”

It took surprisingly little time, and surprisingly little debate (compared to some peace-exchanges they’d had to broker), to get through the list. A mere four or five hours when Obi-Wan could remember some talks lasting nearly a week, on one agenda item.

If Obi-Wan was honest - it was all a hot mess. 

The salary part of their conversation had made Anakin and him sweat-bullets just thinking about it. Palpatine had started at such a ridiculously high number Obi-Wan had choked on his tea. They’d never been paid a living wage before and had actively been told not to accept gifts or tokens for services rendered -  to do so now seemed... wrong. It was an entirely new world to realize just what the Republic thought their worth was in credits. Eye-opening, for sure.

Then they’d been shown property after property, and if they were honest they’d just picked the one with the most space to work with, and that had the least rooms. For Force-sake, they were two men in their prime and not looking to settle down - though Anakin had given Obi-Wan a rather strange expression at saying that. That had still come out to an enormous property; five bedrooms, three freshers, a living area, kitchen, dining room, as well as a guest room (specifically different from the other five bed _ rooms _ ).

The Enlistment Contract had been the most... interesting conversation, that was for sure. Since they were now registered as something other than Jedi, they’d had to decide on a qualification other than Jedi or Force-Sensitive. Both not coming close to encompass what they were in a classification.

They were expertly trained Force-Sensitives when the chips fell. They knew negotiation tactics, lightsaber battle (rural and urban), how to communicate with the Force - they were more than Wild Force-Sensitivities, yet they were not Jedi any longer. Trained, but untamed. No loyalty as far as the Senate and the Jedi were concerned.

It was quite the conundrum. 

It had taken more than a little conversation, a lot of suggestions from the Chancellor himself.

It had gone a little something like this:

“There is, of course, the Cor? The entire culture, after the non-force sensitives were wiped out, used their name as a be-all, catch-all for Force-Sensitive. That would also account for the Vahla, though they do not know where they hail from,” The Chancellor looked thoughtful as he threw out suggestion after suggestion. “The Neti, as well, though I believe they liked the name of Myrk for their knights and masters.”

“That’s quite a list, Chancellor,” Obi-Wan conceded but shook his head. “But I am not sure if that would be wise to take a name from a culture that already exists, even those gone.”

Anakin muttering, feeling insulted, “Especially not a feline race,”

The Chancellor nodded, stroking his cheek as he thought.

“How about we go back to phonetics? To the basics?”

Obi-Wan perked up at that. “How do you mean?”

“I mean, the Jedi have been the light-side Force users the entire galaxy knows. Why do we not stick to something that stays culturally the same?”

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a brief moment of contemplation within their bond. Sharing enough of their emotions to realize they were only feeling a little hesitant because of just how long they’d identified as Jedi. But they weren’t Jedi any longer. They just weren’t.

It was one reason the Chancellor had pushed to have this decided tonight, and not tomorrow when they met to finalize with their lawyer.

“Jedi means Force-Sensitive to everyone, and it will remain that way for a long time to come,” Chancellor Palpatine said, cocking his head. “So, even though the true origins of the name have been lost to obscurity - perhaps we can piggy-back off it?”

Obi-Wan was already nodding. It sounded like a good idea, a better idea than any they’d offered up before. “That would work,” He said. “Something more militarized?”

The man rarely lied to himself, and he knew that the Jedi should be just that - but he and Anakin. They were something different. Something forged from fire, and blood, and ash, and tears. Something wild and emotion filled. Like Jedi close to falling, always on the edge, but never toeing farther over.

“Let’s see, let’s see,” The elder man muttered to himself. “Jedi. Jedai? Edai? Je-Ai? Jedikai?”

Anakin was the first to break in and interrupt. “Perhaps some more like the Yu?”

“Oh, I didn’t even think of that,” Obi-Wan said, with a smile. “‘Yu,' for not just one species. Jedi, for our mastery... Creating a new word will probably step on far fewer toes. ‘Ai’ for the warrior connotations maybe?”

Chancellor Palpatine brightened considerably as he offered, “Je-Yudai,” and there was a sparkle in his eyes as if it was perfect, but that it also meant something to him. Obi-Wan asked, as was only polite, and the Chancellor shared what he knew. About a planet - long, long ago that had once been a paradise for all those Force Sensitive trained. 

The planet was called, Baltaian 5 Alpha, and had been home to particular people who claimed ancestry from the very first Force-Sensitive beings. That had long been proved as a falsehood, after a few hundred years, but the name they had claimed for themselves had been... well rather fetching, Obi-Wan had to admit. And Obi-Wan and Anakin had stumbled upon it.

_ The Force reveals itself in different ways _ , Anakin supposed. Not bothered in the least. Especially not bothered that they were finally done with this line of questioning. They’d been talking about their new ‘name’ for going on forty minutes!

It wasn’t Jedi, and it would be odd and weird for a long while yet to hear a name associated with Anakin and himself that wasn’t Jedi - but it would do.

With those three things out of the way - it was easy piloting.

Obi-Wan and Anakin came out with a salary, each, of around 150,000$ standard credit; a property nearly next door to their troops’ barracks that would be transferred to both their names; and a solid contract with the Republic. One that allowed them to keep their titles of General and Master (respective for their knowledge in the Force, no matter associations), their troops, as well as to allow anyone (clones or otherwise) to join their company. Only  **their** company.

“Well,” Chancellor Palpatine said, leaning back, and relaxing his tired old bones. “I think that about settles it. Just have your lawyer look over these documents and get them back to me by tomorrow at the latest with any changes,”

Anakin and Obi-Wan were beyond exhausted. Their minds were mush. It had been one thing after the other for nearing on an hour. It was mind-numbing. If either of them were honest, and they were often enough - this entire day had been just one stumbling block over the next. Each taking a chip out of their will to fight and to just get it over with. To hear they were done made them melt into their chairs in relief.

“We’re done?” Anakin perked up, having zoned out sometime around when Obi-Wan and Palpatine had argued over what exactly the wording should be for ‘soldier.' 

“We are,” Chancellor Palpatine assured, with a smile. “I think this calls for a celebration - would you two care to join me for dinner?”

Obi-Wan looked to his chrono and realized they still had two hours before they had to be back before the Council. And that he was beginning to feel a bit peckish. 

**_:I could eat,:_ ** He told Anakin. It was second nature to ‘speak’ through their bond around Senators and the politicians, kept them all on their toes. Though it was far more emotions, impressions, and feelings than actual words they transmitted over the bond, it still worked as well as talking. Nearly sign-language in its complexity.

**_:Our first meal with the Chancellor as free-men,:_ ** Anakin mused, amused.  **_:Just like when I was nine all over again.:_ **

Stiffening, Obi-Wan shot Anakin a surprised look. That made Obi-Wan realize just how real the whole situation was. They’d just successfully bartered for a salary, for housing, and for their place in the war outside of the Jedi Order - and for Anakin, this wasn’t exactly the first time he’d ever had to actively fight for something he wanted concerning the Order.

It was startling the similarities, and Obi-Wan wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about them leaving the Order to being compared to being released from slavery.

“Dinner sounds fantastic,” Obi-Wan politely accepted for the both of them, keeping his abrupt realization to himself.

“Wonderful!” The Chancellor said, standing. The two ex-Jedi rising too. “I have standing reservations at  _ The Fox _ , will that suffice?”

_ Will that suffice,  _ Obi-Wan thought wryly.  _ The Fox _ was one of the nicest places in the city, and the Chancellor asked if it would be okay? Considering they’d just eaten at the diner, anything was technically ‘nicer.' Though being Jedi, they were no strangers to excellent meals and dining with royalty or Senators; it was still nice to know the Chancellor was treating them as friends or, at the very least, acquaintances. Really, the only smart move he could make.

Obi-Wan could see this becoming a theme in the next few weeks. Politicians trying to win their favor since they  _ technically  _ had no organization to owe allegiance to. Thank the Force he wouldn’t be here for it. He felt a little sorry to leave Anakin to deal with the sharks, but he had faith his apprentice could handle it. They’d been in worse situations, after all.

“Perfectly acceptable,” Obi-Wan answered. “Shall we go together or would you like us to meet you at a particular time?”

“Meet me - Nonsense! We can go together, right now,” The Chancellor pressed a button on his desk to contact his aid to request transport. With that done he gestured them to follow him. “I must admit, Master Kenobi, this is a relief,”

“Which part?” Obi-Wan asked, curious and weary. 

“Do be serious, Master Kenobi,” The Chancellor teased. “In the entire history of the Jedi, only a handful of Master’s have left.  Each for one reason or anything, but the organization as a whole did not change. Those Masters left because they were unsatisfied with the Order, or because they wished to break the code, there are varying views on quite a few of the more scandalous leavings... Dooku, for one,”

Staring stonily ahead, Obi-Wan nodded. His Grand-Master leaving would always be a sore spot. How he could leave to become a Sith made that sore spot into a wound that festered whenever he thought of it. It was all good and well to release one's emotions to the Force - but these he could never fully get rid of.

“But what I am trying to say to you two, is that you’re very brave, and even I don’t know if your choice was the right one - “

“It was.” Anakin interrupted. 

The room paused. The conversation dying as Palpatine look to Anakin smiled and nodded.

“Alright, then it was the right choice. Only you two can know that. You need not convince me. I shall support you in whatever you endeavor to accomplish. And if other Jedi wish to go the way of Kenobi and Skywalker well...”

Obi-Wan saw a flash of something - perhaps greed, perhaps amusement - all Obi-Wan knew is that they would have to be careful of politicians. Even ones claiming friendship. Claiming Obi-Wan and Anakin would be too enticing for many. Not that this was a new lesson he had to learn. It was just a reminder to be on his guard.

Palpatine finished his thought, though, and cut off Obi-Wan's inner-thoughts. “It is only right that Republic accepts any Jedi wishing to leave the Order for all they have done for us,”

It wasn’t even a particularly awful sentiment, but it hit Obi-Wan then and there, for the first time (truly) of the night: this was the Chancellor.  _ The  _ politician. He must have been more tired than he thought to let his guard down - especially during negotiations. Though, in his defense, very often did he have to negotiation on behalf of himself and not the Jedi Council he had once served.

A pang of his heart left him reeling and uncertain.

It was only Anakin’s strong presence in their bond that kept him upright. 

“Shall we go?” Palpatine asked. It was clear that Obi-Wan had lost something. Where they not just sharing platitudes that the Republic would employ any Jedi who wished to leave? He blinked, not showing his confusion, but it didn’t work on one who shared a bond with him - and at such proximity.

**_:You kind of were lost in thought,:_ ** Anakin said.  **_:But don’t worry. I was polite and said everything you would have said,:_ **

Obi-Wan gave him a mental push.  **_:Well, you better have. It’s just us, after all. One wrong move - :_ **

**_:And that might be the last move, we make. I know.:_** Anakin gave Obi-Wan a fond, amused push back. **_:Master, the day I can’t spring a trap like the best of them is the day we retire,:_**

**_:So says you,:_ ** Obi-Wan grumbled playfully, back on even footing.

Outside of themselves they said, “Yes, let’s go,”

If Palpatine noticed anything, he said nothing.

* * *

Of course, Palpatine noticed something. He noticed  **everything** .

The entire time Anakin and Obi-Wan had been in front of him had been a lesson in patience, a lesson in hiding his true feelings and emotions, and guarding his facial tics, because, really, this was  _ too good _ . He had thought many things would happen by playing games with the Council - finally, after so many centuries the Sith had been in the dark, and now they could play and tease and torture to their heart's content - but he had  _ never  _ guessed they would alienate their own. Never would he have imagined that Obi-Wan, the most brainwashed of them all, would decide he had had enough and up and  **leave** , and he wouldn’t just bring himself, but drag Anakin along with him.

_ The Jedi Order, losing two of it’s best-known Generals? And right now, of all times? _

It was like holiday had come early! He had had to hold in a laugh the entire time they spoke.

It was just too good!

Palpatine turned away as Anakin and Obi-Wan responded to him out loud, but the faint buzz of their force-presences told him they were speaking to each other. The Jedi would never know unless the Master and Apprentice synced up (which was a big Jedi No-No), but the Sith always had a feel for bonds. Especially bonds that were this strong and were practically physical threads of greens, and golds, and reds between them. Linking them. Which was bothersome. Before this whole ordeal, he’d almost had Anakin hanging on by threads. Loyal, but faltering. Now, those same threads were like steel cables.

At first, Sidious had to admit, hearing about the Jedi leaving the Order had pissed him off. A large number of plans had to be rethought and re-done simply because Anakin would no longer truly be in the same spot the Sith Lord had wanted him in. No longer would he be ripe for distrusting the Council, nor would he be torn between Palpatine and the Council and Obi-Wan and Padme, no, he wouldn’t be a lot of things now. 

He was disgustingly... unphased.

Anakin, as soon as he had walked into the room, seemed to  **shimmer** . The Force surrounding him happy and vibrant as always, but now... settled. More than ever before. In complete opposition, Obi-Wan had taken the role Anakin had been playing for so long - broken up, uncertain, and with a touch, more anger than Palpatine had ever felt from the so-carefully, so-controlled Jedi. Where Anakin thrived, finally having cemented his loyalties; Obi-Wan wavered, trying to find his way in this new world he found himself in.

If it wasn’t so pitiful and hadn’t destroyed so many of his plans for the two of them: he might have laughed aloud right then and there.

But it was. And he had better control; so he didn’t.

Already plans and contingencies and alliances he had cultivated were coming to him; all Sidious had to do was put his new plans into motion. Sure, many of his plots and treasons going right now were completely unchanged by this development. The Jedi were a thorn in his side, sure, but they would get theirs soon enough, that was unchanged, but there were enough plots that  **were** changed that it would be bothersome for the next few months. Minimum.

The Jedi Knight was supposed to be  _ his  _ apprentice by the end of all this, after all, not Obi-Wan’s.

But... there wasn’t much he could do on that front. Whatever had been cracked and weakened was now as high as any wall he’d ever seen. What little progress he had made to turn Anakin against his brethren had both been useless and... yet, not. He had planted seeds, after all, and he would harvest as many as he could when the time came. Especially with what he was observing before him.

He could see Anakin was now completely loyal to Obi-Wan, something that he had once complained about to Palpatine in the privacy of his office, during one of his many visits. That Anakin cared so deeply for people, and the Jedi were encouraged  **not** to do that. How he felt like Obi-Wan didn’t respect him, or care for him to the same degree as Anakin had. How he felt like his loyalty to Obi-Wan was strong, but that he was afraid that Obi-Wan’s own loyalty to him would never be returned.

Well, that had been cleared up.

_ Force Hells.  _ Obi-Wan had left the Jedi,  **for Anakin** . Not even Sidious could have prepared for  _ that  _ contingency. He’d only just begun to unweave the web surrounding Anakin’s mind and heart from Obi-Wan’s influence, and it was all for nothing.

_... Or was it? _

As they all walked in companionable silence, Sidious tried to feel out the two behind him. The two ex-Jedi (Je-yudai now, Palpatine smirked to himself, keeping what that  _ truly  _ meant to himself) clearly communicating together. Their bond was strong, one of the strongest he’d seen come from Jedi training his entire life. In fact, it was almost... too strong...

Like that it clicked. What he needed to do, what his next course of action was - it all fell into place like a piece to a puzzle. He turned, looking to Obi-Wan first, then Anakin, before he thought, smugly, to himself: Y _ es.  _ **_This_ ** _ was the right course of action. This would bring them to their knees. Right at his feet. _

Because Obi-Wan trusted Anakin. And Anakin trusted Obi-Wan. They orbited each other like a planet and its moon. Or perhaps a planet and another planet. They were soulmates, as close as they could be, with how the Jedi had interfered with the natural progression of their relationship. With the natural deepening of their bond.

It was so very fortunate that Palpatine knew. That Sidious understood. As all Sith Lords know:

Bonds could make or break someone.

Sidious smiled as he turned away. He would let them have their fun. Allow them to think they’d escape the worst of it. Pulled one over on the Jedi Council, and the Sith, and perhaps the whole galaxy - but Sidious knew. They didn’t know it yet, but Sidious was always the sun. 

And everyone would eventually orbit him. 

Whether they wanted to or not.


	7. We're Not Welcome Anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I'm getting into the nitty-gritty details of this story, and it is... a lot? A lot. It's a lot. Anyone wanna Beta? -sweatdrop- I don't write linearly, so I'm jumping around a lot and filling in places that need it when I've fleshed out enough plot. So I have much written, just not all in this current arc. Blah.  
> Though I CAN say that when we get to Ahsoka's arc, and the Mandalorian arc we'll be ready to RUMBLE!  
> But hey! That's the future! I got this chapter out :D So that's good!  
> Always thanks to Crossover_Addict! :) We've had good conversations and good leading to better my plot. AND OF COURSE for each and every reviewer and kudo'er you guys make this story easy to write knowing that everyone's interested!

_The Fox_ was one of the most upscale restaurants on Coruscant, and it showed on the inside as well as the outside. There was something to be said about the construction and architecture of this era. Big, loud, and brash as it was, it wasn’t too overbearing. It had massive columns, used mostly right angles, and marble was carved for damn near everything, but it wasn’t bad. The interior decorating was much... softer. Though, Obi-Wan still thought it was gaudy. Dressed up in golds, and blues, and reds, and purples in such deep velvety patterns that wove together to create an almost endless tapestry.

Arriving they were immediately greeted by a handsome human male who smiled brightly. He was professional, too, as he didn’t mention either Obi-Wan or Anakin, just Palpatine.

“Chancellor! We’ve been expecting you,”

“Hello, Ernie,” Palpatine greeted. “In the Frame room this evening?”

Ernie winked, playfully. “Of course!”

Obi-Wan and Anakin privately shared amusement across the bond as they were led to a secluded room off the main dining area. It was one of the only rooms, too, that had paintings on the walls instead of fabric. Probably because the Chancellor preferred it that way. _What power could do..._

“Please be seated, and your waitress will be right with you,” Ernie said after he led them in.

“Ahh,” Palpatine sighed, as they all sat down. Anakin gave him a concerned glance. “Oh, it’s nothing, my boy. Just getting older is all. This body’s not what it used to be,” He gave a genial chuckle.

Anakin gave him a weary smile. 

“I second that, Chancellor,” Obi-Wan smiled. “Anakin is still young,”

The man in question huffed. “Not _that_ young,”

Obi-Wan and Palpatine shared a laugh at the indignation before the waitress came. She wore a big smile and had a pep to her step which wasn’t unusual for any Twi’lek. She took their drink orders, and the Chancellor ordered two appetizers that Obi-Wan knew from the names alone but not the taste.

“I have only one more thing to discuss before we can relax,” Palpatine said, as soon as the woman was gone. “Now, I am aware that the Order has had no need of lawyers - so I hope you do not mind if I would suggest one?”

They deflated as one. It was Anakin who spoke, “Oh, yes, please,”

Palpatine smiled, before digging into a pocket. He produced a plain card. Obi-wan was closer, so he handed it over to him without a word.

“Adrian Solo?” Obi-Wan questioned, tilting the card and watching as the flash of near-holographic gold on the corners made the card sparkle attractively.

“He’s the best,” The Chancellor confirmed.

Considering neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan had ever needed a lawyer, they’d have to trust him on that. Obi-Wan nodded his head and slipped the card into his breast pocket.

“Well,” Palpatine said, as he finally leaned back and relaxed. “Now that the business is out of the way, we can speak of more pleasant matters,”

It was not a tense diner by any means, in fact, it was rather nice. Then again, Obi-Wan had been wined and dined before. He knew the political atmosphere, and he knew when he was being subtly fattened up and flattered. It had never previously worked and it wasn’t about to work now.

Still, he was caught off guard by Palpatine asking. “I don’t mean to cause any offense, but I’ve noticed you both are... very in-sync. Is that a side-effect of your bond?”

Both of the ex-Jedi pulled back from where they had been sharing emotions across the bond, more than a little disturbed they had apparently been blatant about it. Obi-Wan hadn’t been controlling himself since they left the Order, in a lot of ways, but it seemed that now it wasn’t just Force-Sensitives figuring it out.

Frowning, Obi-Wan tried to think about what else he had been lax with. He hadn’t been mediating nearly as much, that was for sure, but he accounted that mostly because of the weird visions he had had. He had been serious when he told Anakin he wanted to continue to follow the Code, but... there had been many things that had stifled him as a Jedi. Obi-Wan felt. Felt deeply, felt easily, and felt often. As a Jedi, that had been discouraged behavior, and he’d eventually learned to leave emotions at the doorstep before he did anything.

Emotions were dangerous, and bonds made them more so... didn’t they?

It was only a second pause, but it was enough time that Obi-Wan realized that Anakin was deferring to him on how to handle this. He was out of his element. His bonds with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan were important to him and, often enough, had been a point of contention in the Council Chambers. Which Obi-Wan would tell him about later.

“The bond Anakin and I share in the Force is no stronger than any other Jedi and their Padawan,” Obi-Wan lied as easily as breathing. Anakin heard, though.

“So then other’s often do as you two do?” Palpatine asked, all wide-eyed.

“Most, yes,” Anakin answered, smiling at his friend.

Strange, but for a single second Obi-Wan thought he saw Palpatine’s eyes flash. It must have been a trick of the lighting, but it still was unsettling. The only person he’d seen that happen to had been... well, creatures with different colored eyes. But Palpatine didn’t have oddly colored eyes, they were normal.

Obi-Wan chalked it up to his lack of sleep, which he would be rectifying tonight.

His thoughts were diverted when the Twi'lek returned, bracing two serving trays on her hands as she waltzed towards them with a bright smile, all teeth, and crinkling wrinkles. Soon, Obi-Wan forgot the trick of the light and ignored that Palpatine had asked about their bond - and as they ate, and gave their orders, and talked for the next hour: he forgot he had anything to worry about, too.

It was the most delightful dinner he’d had in awhile.

Which... well, actually wasn’t saying much since he’d been on a warship battling on the frontlines for the past few months eating rations that had long gone from sustenance to chore.

Yes. He was just going to ignore the unease and enjoy.

* * *

 It’s after dinner, as they are in transit to the Council Chambers, that they discuss who to contact for ‘Lawyering’ them.

“Padme would know,” Anakin said.

Obi-Wan nodded. “The Chancellor already gave us one name, getting another wouldn’t hurt,”

They both waited patiently as Anakin comm called Padme. She picked up on the first ring.

“Hello, Anakin,” She said, with a laugh. “I thought for sure I would hear from you two earlier,”

Anakin gave a sheepish smile that she couldn’t see. “We’ve been... busy,”

“That’s one way to put it,” Obi-Wan muttered, hands rolled up in his sleeves as he leaned back, and tried to decompress. Which was useless. He felt restless because they still had at least one more battle to face. The Council, once again.

“Hmmm, well then. I suppose you are calling to tell me when you will be back?”

“That and to ask if you have any suggestion for a lawyer?”

“Oh!” She exclaimed. “Yes! I do have a recommendation. I was going to give it to you two at breakfast but with that whole awful business of Master Mace Windu’s death... I had forgotten,” She paused. “Would you like the contact information now or when you get back?”

“Now would be fine, Padme,” Obi-Wan answered for them.

“Alrighty, his name is Adrian Solo,” She told them. “Best of the best. He’s perfect for you two because he deals with contract negotiations as well as being a huge supporter of the Republic’s military, clone or otherwise,”

Anakin relaxed. Feeling some of the unease of the day drain away.

“That is who the Chancellor said we should go with,” He told her, with a small smile. “I see great minds think alike,”

“Oh, you went to see the Chancellor today?” She asked. There was something to her tone. Something curious or wary. Anakin looked over to see Obi-Wan perk up. It was still him who answered his wife.

“We had to go negotiate our new contracts with the Republic,” He told her. “It was... well it was rather overwhelming. We have copies of them, but Obi-Wan would be able to summarize it better. Here,”

He handed over the communication device without another thought. Blinking and fumbling with the device as it was shoved into his hand, Obi-Wan gave Anakin a withering look. He just shrugged, completely unrepentant.

“Good evening, Padme,” 

“And a good evening to you, too, Obi-Wan. Now, what’s this about a summary?”

So Obi-Wan gave her a basic sitrep. Outlining what they were getting out of the deal, what the Republic could expect from them (behavior-wise), and what had been discussed about choosing a classification outside of the Jedi Order.

“You two have been busy,” She sounded impressed. “You’ve gotten more done today then I’ve gotten done all week!”

“Born of necessity, and all that,” Obi-Wan huffed, but he was pleased. It was always nice to get confirmation that they were on the right track. “That and we haven’t had to deal with all politicians, just one.”

Their transport started to slow, signaling that they were close to the Temple.

Anakin quickly snatched up the comm. “We’ve just arrived. Please don’t wait up for us. This might take a while,”

“Noted,” She said but made no promises to follow his advice. “Would you like me to contact Solo for you? Get you both an appointment while it’s still a socially proper time to do so?”

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look before nodding. Anakin relayed as much.

Then there was a moment, not awkward, not weird, not even really a moment - but Obi-Wan felt like he was intruding. Their silence spoke for them, and then Anakin was bidding goodbye, and Padme was signing off.

He wasn’t sure what that feeling had been about, but he couldn’t shake it.

“Well,” Anakin puffed, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go face the music, huh?”

Obi-Wan nodded, not wanting to speak. He’d been talking non-stop it seemed, and he was tired. Just a few moments alone to collect his thoughts was all he asked, but, of course, that would not be granted.

“Yes, let’s,” He said instead of lamenting his exhaustion.

Then they were tracing that oh so familiar path, through the halls, past the main living quarters, past the mess hall, and to the Council Chamber. It was late, and usually, no Council session would be called unless it was an emergency - but exceptions were there to be made.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were part of more exceptions than the average Jedi.

No aide was waiting to lead them in, just the silent corridor.

“Enter,” Said a voice from within, and the door opened as if tugged by the Force. “We are ready for you,”

 **_:One last meeting,:_ ** Anakin murmured over the bond. Wrapping that up with feelings of relief.

 **_:One more,_ ** : Obi-Wan agreed, sending back a kind of warm, fluttering sense of happiness to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As one, they entered.

* * *

This time, there were four non-holographic persons. The additional being Plo Koon.

“Hello, Obi-Wan. Anakin,” He greeted, with a warm feeling in the force. “I hope your day hasn’t been too stressful?”

A few of the Council snorted at that. Obi-Wan got the distinct feeling that they had wished it to be as hard on the two standing apart as it had been on the Council.

“Probably just the right amount of stress,” Anakin said, covering for them well. Obi-Wan shared a pleasant smile as Anakin continued. “We should be finalizing our contracts tomorrow, at the very latest. Probably noon, as long as our lawyer doesn’t want to fight over points, we’ve already agreed upon,”

The Jedi Master's in front of them were disquieted by that.

Maybe it was the fact that they were being represented by a lawyer. Perhaps it was beginning to become real. Solid. Anakin and Obi-Wan had taken step after step away from the Council and the Order. Rather than just turning and walking away like so many other Jedi before them, they had decided to take the legal route. Other than that, the Jedi in front of them were just plain unhappy. Maybe the Force was speaking, and they refused to listen. Obi-Wan didn’t know anymore.

“Mistake, this is,” Yoda said, and Obi-Wan knew it wouldn’t be the last time he would say it - but it would be the last time to Obi-Wan’s face.

The ex-Jedi raised a brow. “The Force does not make mistakes,”

“Or has that changed in the past ten hours?” Anakin added.

“Spoken, I have,” Yoda said, humming as he flicked an ear. “Quiet, I will be,”

Obi-Wan wondered what the Order would look like if Yoda weren't the head. Their choices had defined the Order, yes, but there was something to be said for the aged wisdom they had trusted from the swamp creature grand-master.

“Thank you, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said before Anakin could spin fire. “Your concern has been noted,”

He waited only a beat.

“Now, can we continue where we left off this morning? It’s been a... long day,”

Anakin echoed that in their bond, his face impassive as he stood in front of the Council, hands crossed behind his back.

“You are right, Obi-Wan. Let us begin,” Shaak Tii said. “There were a few things we needed to confirm with you, Obi-Wan and Anakin before we can give you our answers for your questions.”

Obi-Wan nodded his head. “We will answer to the best of our ability,”

She smiled at him, grateful he wasn’t going to make this harder. Nodding to Plo Koon, she settled her hands on her lap. He took over for her.

“First, we would like to confirm what has already been relayed to you by Padawan Ahsoka,” Plo Koon said, raising from his seat. “We have guidelines, but as long as you nor she breaks them we see no reason to dissolve a partnership as successful as you both have,”

“And we thank you for that,” Anakin said, bowing his head in gratefulness.

At least that was one thing Jedi taught them that was helpful: humbleness in the face of adversary.

“Second, is something that Obi-Wan brought up about the Clones...” Plo Koon carefully selected his words. “The Council has decided that we will always maintain that any being is a part of the Force, and any sentient being is beholden unto themselves, and themselves only. That being said, the Clones already have citizen status on Coruscant, and we find to... push your position right now to be against the Order’s best interests,”

 **_:Well that was a wordy no,:_ ** Obi-Wan thought dryly. And said, aloud, “So we can not count on you for your support?”

He received no answer.

“Lovely. Anything else?”

From there... well, neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin were completely sure what the Council was getting at its next point. A few of the Council members, Saesee Tiin and Plo Koon and Yoda being the ringleaders, but it wasn’t until the Saesee Tiin said, “Titles make the Jedi,” that they understood.

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is about our titles of Master and Knight, respectively?”

“I thought we made that clear...” Plo Koon sighed. “Yes, we are discussing your titles now. Do you have any arguments you would like to present us with why you should keep your titles?”

“Besides that, we have worked for them, and they denote our skill with the Force for all Null and Force-Sensitive beings?” Anakin asked, huffily. “I suppose sentiment has something to do with it, but I am thinking strategic advantage, psychologically,”

Obi-Wan gave him a feeling through the Force that they both knew meant that he was proud of him.

It wasn’t often that Anakin was precise and beautifully eloquent. He preferred to show, rather than tell. It didn’t mean he wasn’t brilliant; it just meant he didn’t like to show off his brain. Beating people up, he was okay with, but he always hid his true intelligence.

He took over for Anakin. “Additionally, the titles we hold would translate over in any Force Sensitive Culture. Even ones that do not accept the Jedi as the only culture of Apprentices, Knights, and Masters. They do not denote only Mastery of the Force as a Jedi, but as a Force Sensitive,”

A hush fell over the Council. It was clear that for the hours they must have spent arguing and debating, that had not been a point that had been risen. At least, not seriously. Though if the smug look Ki-Adi-Mundi was anything to go by, it was clear he’d brought it up only to have it shot down. He’d also been unerringly silent.

“The Council concedes to your point of view,” Ki-Adi-Mundi said without discussing it with anyone else on the Council. “Moving on.”

Anakin was treated to a sight as Kit Fisto glared at the hologram of the Mund.

After that was cleared up, the rest was... clerical. Discussing what exactly the new precedence was for a Jedi leaving the Order but staying on in a semi-specialist position in the Military. The salary didn’t impress them, simply because they had no grid for how much it was. The housing assignment pleased them because it showed that Obi-Wan and Anakin were really going to be keeping true to their word of sticking with the Clones. Everything else was just... paperwork.

Then they got to the suggested name for Jedi who left. Basically, the name of the position any Force-Sensitive not apart of the Jedi could adopt at will.

“I do not know this name,” Most of the Council agreed with Obi-Wan when he brought up the point. “You say the Chancellor says it means ‘Force-Sensitive’?”

“In the culture of the Baltaian 5 Alpha, yes,” Obi-Wan agreed. “It is a... placeholder. If any on the Council had another option I could present it to the Chancellor tomorrow at our meeting to finalize our contract. I would be more than happy to offer it,”

“Do that, you will,” Yoda said, speaking up for the first time since he’d told Obi-Wan he was going to be quiet. “Names, many others there are. Kuros, Neftali, Gar-nioft, all mean Force-Sensitive. One culture, or another. Sant, on this planet, means Force-Sensitive, it does,”

Obi-Wan knew that. So did, Anakin. But it didn’t... feel right.

“We shall keep those in mind,” The elder of the two said. Then he sighed. “Is that all? Are we done?”

There was a consensus as everyone on the Council as they conferred. It was Shaak Ti who told them they were free to go. There was nothing left to talk about, after all. Everything that was left was paperwork, formalities, and distance.

It was... awkward. For those few seconds when they were released, and them turning away - everything had changed. It was like a wall had come down in front of them. Between them. For the first time, Obi-Wan felt the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ vibe.

And it saddened him greatly.

Not enough to turn back around.

But enough.

* * *

 “Well,” Anakin said, hands braced on his hips outside the Council Chamber. “That... went surprisingly well,”

“Don’t get too used to it,” Obi-Wan warned him. “From here on out, we’re on our own,”

Anakin snorted, crossing his arms.

“No matter what you say, I maintain we’ve been on our own for a long time,”

Obi-Wan sighed. Anakin was taking their leave better than he was. Enough so that Obi-Wan knew it was the right choice. If Obi-wan hadn’t made his decision, Anakin would have eventually. Eventually left the Order, and Obi-Wan would have followed. Taking a deep breath, he let that moment echo in his heart.

This was the right choice.

“Perhaps you are right. Only time will tell, Anakin,”

The night was silent, but nobody was around outside of the Council Chamber - no one to lead them back to the entrance of the Temple. Just them.

“One last walk through the garden?” Obi-Wan offered.

Anakin smiled beatifically. There were very few places Anakin felt comfortable meditating. In his room, surrounded by droid parts, on the couch dozing, or with Obi-Wan walking through an area of greenery. Constant movement, only, no sitting or standing. The Force was alive, so he had to be while he meditated.

“Let’s go!”

When they reached the garden, they both relaxed.

The place was a calm, quiet pocket of the Force. Insects, birds, small mammals all shared the space and cohabited nicely. Anakin felt his shoulders relax as they walked in farther. Obi-Wan pushed a feeling of peace, so profound and deep that he hoped Anakin would take it. He rarely did, and only when he needed it.

Anakin smiled at him and pushed back something just as nice and calm. Like a river, always rushing, always moving, but constant and even. Huffing, Obi-Wan patted him on his shoulder. Anakin knew just what type of imagery to give him to think on. Then Anakin grew silent, peaceful, and withdrew into the Force.

Still, Obi-Wan was hesitant to try meditating. After... the last disastrous time he was honestly not looking forward to doing it again. His mood not helping, either. Usually, Obi-Wan was well mediated at any given time, but it was now going on thirty hours since he had last closed his eyes and reached for the Force. His emotions bled from him, and he was honestly surprised the Council hadn’t called him on it.

Sighing, he realized he should try in a neutral place. A place without outside forces.

No time like the present.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, breathed deep, and reached.

Immediately wishing he hadn’t.

Like before, he was dragged into a vision -

_\- Fire and flames. The smell of blaster discharge ripe in the ozone. For all there was smoke, and a sense of dread and death - there was no screaming. It was silent. Even so, Obi-Wan could barely breathe._

_Then, the smoke cleared somewhat, as a large gust of wind carried it away._

_Obi-Wan didn’t understand what he was seeing at first. Lumps and bumps in the floor of the Temple hallways. He was right in front of the Council Chamber, and yet all he saw was smoke, and bumps and lumps and -_

_Bodies. They were bodies. It was a vision, so Obi-Wan could only watch, passively. He yearned to reach forward, to roll over one of them, to see who’s face would stare back - but he couldn’t move. The sound of footsteps became clear behind him, but Obi-Wan didn’t want to turn around. So he didn’t._

_Not that it helped. There was a particular cadence to the walk, heel-to-toe, with a rhythm that was unmistakable. Even stomping, Anakin was easily the most gracefully tall person Obi-Wan had ever met._

_That didn’t change now. -_

Obi-Wan came from the vision with a blink and then collapsed onto his knees.

The smell of smoke still stung his nostrils, but it was bearable, now that he could see it had not been real. Just... just a vision. He felt sick, still. Because vision it was. And visions only told of a ‘could be’ future, but Obi-Wan was beginning to suspect that it was worse than that. That what he had seen was nearly as mote as his hand.

The Force hugged him tight and whispered to him:

 _Change_.

Somehow, that was little comfort to Obi-Wan, as he instinctively knew that change could mean a myriad number of things. And he didn’t think saving the Jedi temple was one of them.

Shaking, Obi-Wan pushed the vision out of his mind. Tried to ignore it, as he had with all other visions before. It was the Jedi way, after all, not to dwell upon visions.

Obi-Wan forgot, of course, that he wasn’t a Jedi.

* * *

Anakin came back to himself a few seconds after Obi-Wan staggered to his feet. He felt refreshed and at ease. The Force around him pranced and frolicked and filled him to the brim with power.

“Are you alright, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked, turning to him with a frown.

“Fine,” Obi-Wan bit out, unable to lift his eyes from the tree in front of him. “I just...”

Anakin was quick to come to his side, placing a bracing hand underneath his fist. Obi-wan said nothing more, shut his mouth. And that told Anakin all he needed to know. There were few things that would shut someone up like a vision of destruction.

“Was it another vision?”

He was quick on the uptake, Obi-Wan had to give him that. And he didn’t want to lie, didn’t know why he would so he nodded.

Anakin hesitated.

“Can I ask what it was about?”

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin then. Force, those eyes were too beseeching and honest and worried, and there was a tint to them that told him Anakin **understood**. Understood in the way that he’d had a vision come true, had had something awful and horrible happen to him.

He was talking before he consciously chooses to. Explaining the dream, leaving out only what he had assumed was Anakin walking up behind him out. Nobody needed to know that.

The entire time, Anakin stayed silent, just offering a hand to lean against.

When Obi-Wan was done, Anakin nodded. “So, you think it’s going to happen?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “It is a vision. I can only assume it’s a possibility... It just felt inevitable.”

Anakin cocked his head to the side as he thought.

“Maybe it is inevitable,” He said, finally.  Obi-Wan’s face paled. “And maybe you’re only getting the visions now because you left,”

It made sense, but Obi-Wan was still stuck on the ‘why’ of it all.

Visions were notorious for coming true in bits and pieces if they ever came true at all.

They both sighed. One thing was for sure. Nothing could be done for it tonight.

“Let’s go, Anakin, it’s getting late,”

The younger man gave him a small smile as if Obi-Wan wasn’t fooling him, before nodding. Then they were on their way. Both lost in thought as they continued their circuit of the Gardens. As they walked, something within the Force changed. Heightened. Grew.

They were not alone.

Three presences were in front of them. Bright little lights of the force, Jedi in origin with how they held themselves, always slightly hidden - but no threat. Anakin thought they might be Padawans or Initiates not yet claimed for Apprenticeship.

As they walked through the garden, enjoying the night-life, Obi-Wan realized he was right - and wrong.

Two were Padawans, Ahsoka agemates, but the other was a Jedi Knight.

: **_Oh_ ** !: Anakin said, recognizing one of the presences. From there he could extrapolate who they were. **_:It’s Barriss and Caleb, Ahsoka’s agemates, and... Master Luminara,:_ **

They both winced.

Well. It was bound to happen, wasn’t it? Their first meeting with Jedi outside of the Council. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but feel like he still wasn’t ready for it to be happening, but it was. And he wasn’t one to run from a trap. Plus he had philosophies for traps.

Spring it or run. And he wasn’t running.

 **_:Time to face the music,:_ ** He told Anakin, which prompted a snort from the young man.

Master Luminara had been agemates with Qui-Gon, and one of the last of that creche batch, too. Not that she ever let show how much each one of her agemates had affected her. She was a Jedi through and through, able to release her emotions to the Force and continue her life as any Jedi could. It was one of the reasons she’d earned her Mastery so young, younger than even Qui-Gon.

Luminara spoke first.

“Obi-Wan. Anakin,” She said, warm as the night's air. “I had assumed you would not be staying in the temple...”

“We are not,” Obi-Wan told her, trying not to wince at her colder than usual tone. “We just finished our meeting with the Council and are heading off. Anakin and I were just spending a moment in the garden,”

“Ah,”

The two Padawans with her were wide-eyed, even though they quickly hid their feelings under a mask of indifference and aloofness that all Jedi could pull up at a moment's notice. There was a reason that most citizens of the Republic thought them all fridged.

“Is it true?” Barriss spoke, quickly before her Master could stop her. “You and Master Skywalker are leaving the Order?”

“It is true,” Anakin said, quick to reassure the slightly panicked feeling he felt pulse from her. “There were many... reasons for our choices, but rest assured. Ahsoka has decided to remain here, to train as a Jedi, with me still as her Master -”

It was Caleb that interrupted him.

“ _You can do that_?” He asked, in barely a whisper. Before Luminara could get a word in edgewise. “The Council is letting you train her even though you won’t be Jedi?”

Obi-Wan and Anakin nodded. A touch out of sync, just enough to sell it.

“Wow,” Barriss and Caleb said at the same time, before the Mirlan added, “...but why are you leaving?”

“ _Padawans_ ,” Luminara, rebuked them. “Let’s not keep them any longer with our questions.”

“It’s alright,” Obi-Wan said, holding up a hand to stop her from ushering them away. “We... we owe all the Jedi an explanation. We might as well get our stories straight tonight,”

“As straight as we can anyway,” Anakin said, running a nervous hand through his hair. “It’s... complicated.”

Caleb snorted. “Well, then uncomplicate it. That’s what my Master always says,”

“You both are old enough to hear the truth, but I suppose I should ask what you know about how their war was started?”

Luminara stiffened. “This is not a conversation to be had with - “

“ _Luminara_ ,” Obi-Wan retorted sharply, cutting her off. “Are you telling me they don’t deserve to know exactly what’s happening behind Council doors?”

“They are still just children,”

“Children, that are apparently old enough to fight and die for the Republic without knowing why?”

Luminara’s mouth dropped open in surprise, her nose flaring in shock.

“I want to hear,” Barriss stated, crossing her arms. Caleb mimicked her pose. “Me, too,”

Anakin nodded, firmly, not allowing the older Jedi Master’s sway him from speaking.

“It went like this: Eleven years ago, Sifo-Dyas, had a vision of what was to come to pass. How a droid army would be raised to fight the Republic, and supposedly, he saw us lose. Without telling any of the other Jedi Master’s, he went and ordered millions of Clones to be made ready for battle,”

Obi-Wan added. “It remained a secret well after he died, and only by the will of the Force did I stumble upon the cloning facility on Kamino. You can imagine my shock and surprise when the Kamino told me they were made for the Jedi, to fight for the Jedi, to die for the Jedi. All for a war I knew nothing truly about,” He sighed, dragging a hand down his beard. “It was decided by the Council, long before I was part of them, that we would use the Clones as they had been designed,”

“I knew most of that,” Caleb said, proudly. Barriss nodding her head, slower, next to him. “Me, too.”

“You might not know this, then - after the Republic Grand Army was founded, after the Battle of Geonosis, but before every Jedi served in any official capacity: we were given the choice to fight or not,”

Barriss was listening intently.

“It came down to a vote,” Obi-Wan admitted. “That’s how the Council works, after all. Majority leads the new path of the Jedi. Usually, they would debate for... well, months before something this big was decided, but we did not have months. We barely had days. The Clones had been created for Jedi, to be used for Jedi, and it was too tempting of an offer,”

He had everyone’s attention now. Including Luminara. She was more stable, stoic in the Force, but she was listening.

“It took three days,” Anakin sent him a wave of something positive that he wasn’t in the right mindset to receive. “But it was decided that the Jedi would forgo our paths as peacekeepers and take up the mantle of warriors. I have been against that motion from the beginning, and it was only partially why Anakin and I left today,”

Caleb looked at Skywalker. “... Why are you leaving? What was your last straw?”

Obi-Wan and Anakin realized that might be a little... much. Something not to dump on Padawans at such a late time of night.

“That is classified,” They were **not** impressed by that, “but I will tell you why I was so willing to leave when Obi-Wan did.”

And back they perked. “And... well,” He scratched the back of his head, again, a nervous tick.

“It’s simple. Before I was a Jedi, I was a slave,”

Anakin snorted at the disbelieving gasp that escaped the Padawan’s lips, clenching his flesh hand into a fist. His origin story wasn’t a secret, but it also wasn’t exactly public knowledge. He didn’t like talking about it, after all. Talking about Tatooine was not what he wanted to spend his afternoons doing.

“I am aware, had we not had the Clones, we would not have lasted this long, that is for sure, but it doesn’t change the facts. The Clones are slaves. Necessary or not, it’s slavery, and I have never condoned that,”

“It is one reason why we know every single Clones name under our command,” Obi-Wan told them, voice soft. “The Republic, and by extension, the Council, is willing to let them live and die for them, without knowing a single name. The least we can do is remember them when they are gone,”

Caleb and Luminara looked particularly struck. Obi-Wan knew that the Council would be getting a talking to from the Master Jedi soon, if not tonight, about the exact reasons for Obi-Wan and Anakin leaving. Neither of them would be around to see or hear it, but it was enough to know it was happening.

Barriss on the other hand... she looked thoughtful. Her brow furrowed, eyes downcast as she processed. Her Force signature was... pulsating between confusion, stoic, and anxiety. Obi-Wan chalked it up to having her world rocked, but even he wasn’t sure. Nor was he about to intrude on her bond with her Master, in front of said Master.

“Thank you, Obi-Wan. Anakin. For sharing,” Luminara found her voice, clearing it before continuing. “I believe that will be all for tonight, Padawans,”

Neither Caleb nor Barriss offered up any objection, but when they went to pass the ex-Jedi, Barriss reached out to run a hand down Obi-Wan bare forearm. Something that was akin to a thank you, unworded, but spoken through touch and force presence.

A buzz went through his veins as she pushed a single, solitary emotion at him.

 **_:What was that?:_ ** Anakin asked, shivering from the backlash over the bond.

The emotion particularly... striking. Fresh and brutal.

Obi-Wan answered as he began to walk the way they had originally been heading, towards the entrance of the Temple.

**_:Conviction.:_ **

And Obi-Wan remembered a planet. Remembered the children he had left the Order, briefly, to fight for. The children he had fought with, had watched die, had watched survive. And he remembered on that final day he had spent with his friends, with his comrades, with his brothers and sisters in arms - he remembered this feeling. Of triumphant conviction. Of knowing they were right, and that it had taken a long time to get there, but they were right.

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure why Barriss was feeling this way, not sure even he had ever felt this level of... belief.

It undoubtedly wasn’t Jedi.

But he was hardly a Jedi any longer, was he?

 **_:Come Anakin_ ** _,:_ Obi-Wan said, breathing deep of the cooling, chilly night air. **_:I’m tired,_ ** **:**

* * *

Meanwhile, in prison far, far away Mace Windu, now rako Hardeen, called the Council from the prison gym. And he cursed Obi-Wan Kenobi. He cursed him to the deepest pits of hell, because Moralo Eval was the worst of the worst. And being around him sent shivers down his spin.

It had taken him no time at all to endear himself to the criminal world locked away in this prison. What was it his Master used to say about criminals? _Strike first, and strike fast_. It was all these people knew. Using his superior Force-enhanced strength liberally, he’d already gotten into a ‘fight’, and knew that nobody would come after him for that alone. And not just because he’d stabbed someone with a spoon.

Already they called him Jedi-Killer.

 _Great,_ Mace thought to himself as he hunched over and slotted the earpiece in.

“This is Wind,” Mace said, in greeting. Outlined that he had the transmitter, but that they have a problem.

“Cad Bane,” Kit Fisto said in his ear. “We had no intel that Moralo is working with anyone,”

“He’s being paid to get him out. Sounded... Imminent,”

Yoda sighed. “Foolish we were, to think Cad Bane's capture, was without purpose.”

Mace agreed, cursing Obi-Wan internally again. If Obi-Wan was in his situation, he would have probably bargained with them, already getting on their good side. Mace hadn’t been in the field like this in a long time.

“I’ll keep an eye out on - “ A clone was coming, much faster than guard rotation said he was going to. “Have to go. I’ll follow if they try to escape,”

Mace left his earbud in just long enough to hear -

“Extraction could take a while, be aware,”

\- Before he put it away.

“I’m always aware,” Mace said, smirking to himself as arrogant as he can. He had a part to play, loath as he was to admit it.

As he rehid the transmitter and got up, he realized he hadn’t had enough time to ask about Obi-Wan and Anakin and the Order. Nor if they had fucked everything up by leaving, and if them leaving had made everything go wrong.

He pushed it away, though. He had a mission, after all.


	8. Could I ever Live without You By My Side?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So now that we've finally gotten over a lot of politics and working with 'the Man' we get to have some interaction between our three favorite people! :D Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme wind down for the night and some secrets are revealed. Some parties take it well, other's do not. - Wink Wink -  
> Oh, and there is a child! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear we will be getting to the action soon. I'm trying to go slow and make this feel as real, in the sense of how real actual people would react, and not just these two DEVOTED Jedi just running away because of the world being unfair - they know the world is unfair but now they're realizing they don't gotta take that lying down. Also - A lot of this 'canon' part of this story never really focused on what was going on on Coruscant at the time so I'm giving them some downtime because they won't be getting any once the shi-poopy hits the fan! For now, we get some downtime for our boys, some good conversation, and, you know, some cuddles? Soon?  
> As always, thanks for the reviews, the kudos, and the love!  
> Thanks to my helpers/betas Crossover_Addict and our newest friend: picavenger14 who's been helping me with grammar and story direction!

Home was still their little double-bed suite in the Temple to Obi-Wan, but returning to Padme’s was... less bittersweet than he’d thought it would be. He was exhausted, so he chalked up his weepy emotions on his lack of control, on his lack of sleep. Anakin had no problem waltzing into the Senator’s home and greeting their host like it was just another day, another political mission, another...  _ something _ .

Familiar though it was, it made Obi-Wan ache for things past.

“Obi-Wan,” Padme smiled at them both, grabbing Anakin’s hand and squeezing. “Ani. I was wondering when you two would show up,”

She had reason to wonder. It was  very late.

“Apologies, Padme,” Obi-Wan mustered up a twitch of his lips. “After the Council meeting we ran into a few Padawans and Master Luminara... they had some questions for us,”

She blinked.

“I bet,” Padme mumbled, wide-eyed. “That was quick. What’d you both say?”

“The truth,” Anakin said. “Not the whole truth. Some things were...controversial and confidential to the Council, and we kept those to ourselves, but the biggest reason we told them about: The Clones. The parallel to slavery. How our ideaology and the Council's has gone two seperate directions. You know, and everything else,”

Padme was a Senator for a reason. She’d been a Queen before that. That was hardly something to shake off, and Padme had not. She used all those skills now to show any outward emotion other than to frown severely as she thought to herself,  _ skillfully done. _

“I suppose it couldn’t have waited?” She asked.

“No,” Obi-Wan shook his head. “The next time we’re trusted unsupervised with Padawans will probably not come anytime soon,”

Anakin snorted.

“They’ll think we’re trying to corrupt them,”

“The truth is always scary,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But I would rather speak it then be blind to it,”

“Alright, enough moping in the entrance hall,” Padme scolded them like they were children. Grabbing first Obi-Wan’s hand and then Anakin’s in a firm grip, she pulled them both to the couch. 

“Sit.” She commanded.

Obediently, they did.

“I know it’s been a long day, but you don’t need to just keep it all in,” She told them. “My home is your home until such a time as you find a place-“

“We’ve actually got a place,” Anakin admitted, making Padme’s mouth shut closed with a snap.  “Part of the negotiations and everything,”

“Oh. Well, yes, I think I remember Obi-Wan saying something about that,” Padme said. The wind knocked out of her sails she sat down on the opposite couch with a smile. “Way to make a girl feel needed, Ani,”

Anakin was quick to splutter, “Wait? Wait! No, that’s not what I - “

“She’s joking,” Obi-Wan said, placing a hand against Anakin’s arm to stop himself from further embarrassing himself.

“I was,” Padme agreed, proudly. “Besides, I got you two on Solo’s calendar for eleven tomorrow - so who’s necessary now?”

Anakin’s eyes lit up, and he leaped up to go to her, grabbing her hands and pulling her up to him.  He  then proceeded to spin her by grabbing her up by the waist and throwing her into the air to turn.

“You’re the best, Padme!” He told her  enthusiastically . Driving the both of them to laugh and then eventually collapsing, as Anakin’s balance was upset too much by the added weight. They found themselves both in a pile on the floor soon enough, laughing with each other like the entire day  **hadn’t** been a series of failed attempts to right their lives. 

Obi-Wan watched them. The pure joy of being in each other’s presences. If he had not had suspicions before of Padme and Anakin’s relationship, he would have now. Their emotions were sweet, and light, fluffy. There was a cloud-like quality to them. The kind that wouldn’t threaten rain, but would just  wisp  along. Feeling as if he were intruding  on something private , he rose and patted Anakin on his shoulder as he passed. 

“I think I will take my leave. Today has been... eventful,” He told them, quickly retreating to the room that was his for the duration of their stay.

He didn’t catch Anakin’s confused, baffled look nor Padme’s frown.

He was too focused internally.

* * *

“Ani, we need to talk,” Padme said after a few silent moments passed on the floor.

“We do,” Anakin agreed.

Still, they didn’t begin talking right then. Both waiting on the other to start. 

When it was clear that Anakin wasn’t about to start, Padme huffed and dove in.

“You need to tell him,”

Anakin wasn’t a coward, but the way he froze reminded Padme why they’d been keeping it a secret this long. That fear of being found out, that both of them had harbored for so long, seemed...less intense somehow without the Jedi Order hovering above them. Less of a problem. Sure, Padme still had to worry as a senator of Naboo, those who held a public office didn’t usually marry and still retain their senatorial position because of the Naboo cultural taboo on working parents. Fortunately, it was less of a problem then the Jedi were.

Padme though he was going to deny her, Anakin just deflated further. “You’re right.”

Without missing a beat, she ran a hand through his hair. “I know. That’s why  **I’m** the wife,”

He barked a sudden, loud laugh before turning to her and hugging her close. For a few moments, they shared body heat, held close like this. They could forget the outside world, just for a moment. Anakin moved only briefly to touch his forehead to hers. Sharing breath. Intimate like they hadn’t been for a while.

“I should do that...right now,” Anakin said, smiling.

“You really, really should,” Padme said, making no effort to move him away  to complete his task .

They didn’t go anywhere.

There was little distance between them, but somehow they moved even closer. One moment enjoying just the space they shared, unencumbered by other people (even Obi-Wan), and allowed to bask in the joy that came from being together.

As it usually did, snuggling lead to a kiss, which leads to a full-blown makeout session - And it would have gone on further had Padme not put her foot down, strong-arming Anakin with a palm to his chest and pushing him away. He dutifully pulled away with a whine.

“Talk to Obi-Wan,” She told him. 

“ _ Padme _ ,” Anakin complained, trying to wiggle his way back into her warm embrace.

She wasn’t having any of it, and she knew how to work her magic.

“I’m going to go get him. You are going to talk to him,” She told him. “And then, afterward, depending on the situation we can continue,”

Padme, capable woman than she was, forgot one simple thing as she rose to get Obi-Wan for her husband to finally spill their deep dark secret too. And that one simple thing?

Anakin was terrified of disappointing Obi-Wan.

Which is why, when she finally convinced Obi-Wan to come out and that Anakin had something very, very important to talk about - her husband was nowhere to be seen; She had only herself to blame, but still. She assumed he had finally matured enough to  _ not _ run away from all of his problems (the ones that could be run away from, anyway), but she was clearly wrong.

Obi-Wan raised a brow at her, as she slapped a hand to her face.

“Anakin has something to tell me, huh?” He teased.

“I’m going to _ kill him _ ,” She muttered behind her hand. Then she added, removing her hand, “Please, make yourself comfortable, I’m going to go find the stupid dork,” 

“Alright, Padme,” Obi-Wan agreed, sitting down and relaxing into the comfortable cushions. Not so different from the ones he’d been sitting on before she’d asked for his presence. 

Then Padme was off.  On a mission to find her stubborn husband . She found Anakin sitting on their bed, staring at his hands, clenching them neurotically. It was such a striking picture that it pulled her up short. She stood in the door, allowing him a few more seconds to mope and whine to himself before she spoke. 

“You’ve got to tell him, Ani,” She ordered. “He deserves to know,” 

He didn’t even flinch, telling Padme all she needed to know. He knew she was there, had felt her, and was just being a coward.

“Just... one more moment,” He begged.

She gave it to him. Then she left him to speak with Obi-Wan and assure him that Anakin wasn’t about to admit to murder, hoping that would soften the older man up. And desperately hoping that Anakin wasn’t, honestly, going to confess to murder. That was a conversation for another night...

* * *

 

Sitting in their shared room by himself, Anakin finally allowed himself to decompress over the day. He didn’t give himself much time, but even the small window he allowed was enough. Taking a deep breath, he sat up straighter, tilted his head back, stared at the ceiling, and let his mind to wander.

In just a short day, his entire life was flipped. Not… bad flipped, just flipped. He had to prioritize. Now.

Now without the Jedi Order, he was… well, free. He hadn’t been lying to Obi-Wan when he’d said that.  Freedom was such an elusive term for him. The Jedi claimed to have given it to him, but that wasn’t freedom. He still had rules, and he had a Master, and he was trapped within the confines of their narrow world.

Well, not so narrow now. War was very broad. 

He was indeed free for the first time in his entire life. The thought was both exhilarating and frightening.

Sighing, he crossed his arms. 

The war was going to continue. He and Obi-Wan would still risk life, and limb, and freedom for the good people of the Republic, for  _ their  _ freedom. Yet, he and Obi-Wan would always be what they were. Trained. Battle-hardened. Warriors. Jedi in all but name.

It settled something within him, listing everything he was.

A good man. Someone who would do what he had to do, not because it was just duty, but because it was the right thing. A husband. A partner.  A brother. A leader.

This was what made Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker.

He viciously pushed away from the memories of Tatooine, of his mother, cold and dead in his arms, of the righteous anger that had flown through him when he had thrown every single Jedi rule, every individual Jedi sympathy out of the window. When he had killed those villagers, the haze of bloodlust heavy over his eyes and his heart, blocking out the light and suffocating him.

Unable to breathe - unable to move - unable to do anything but mourn in the way he’d chosen.

Anakin stiffened his upper-lip and gathered his courage. It was time to tell Obi-Wan that he and Padme were married. Telling him about… about what had happened with his mother could wait. One shock at a time. 

Taking a deep breath, he walked into the living room, ready to face down the krayt dragon. 

* * *

“Say again?” Obi-Wan asked, feeling faint.

This was the latest bombshell in a day packed with them, and he honestly wasn’t sure if he could handle it anymore. This was... this was a lot.  Padme and Anakin...married? Not just in a secret relationship but betraying their vows long before even Obi-Wan had thought to betray his own?

“In my defense,” Anakin flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We are very aware it broke rules and oaths  and violated the Code  and all of that. And we still did it.”

Obi-Wan was just… staring at him. 

Anakin winced.  _ Oh, that wasn’t good. _

Then the elder plopped onto the couch behind him with a massive groan, his head in his hands.

“I knew there was something more,” He said, groaning. “I knew there was something else you were keeping from me, but I couldn’t figure it out. I thought Padme was pregnant! Thank the Force,” He paused, looking at the woman. “No offense to you Padme and your future children,“

Padme looked a little pale at thinking that. “Uhm, none taken? I’m happy I’m not pregnant, too.” 

“Anakin, how could you keep this from me?”

“In my defense,” He began again, hands shaking. “You didn’t know? I mean, you knew we were in a relationship... but -” It was time, to be honest. Truthful. Obi-Wan deserved it. 

“I was scared.” Anakin began. All fidget, all movement. “Scared you wouldn’t accept me, our marriage, or,“ Anakin didn’t even realize until he started speaking just how much he had bottled up. But without his permission it all just kind of… bubbled up and out. Like, fizzle out of a can of soda. Unstoppable.

“Or that you would tell the Council. And that I’d be kicked out of the Order,  _ without _ you. And I don’t know how I’d be able to survive like that, knowing you were so disappointed in me, and that you would tell the Council and - and - and you’d realize that I’d never be a perfect Jedi like you, or that I wasn’t worth it, finally, after all this time, and - ”

Obi-Wan was up and standing in front of him, and that was the only thing that stopped Anakin from talking. He flinched as Obi-Wan raised a hand, only to realize he was moving slowly like he was trying to calm a wild animal.

“Okay, first things first, you’ve got to breath, okay? Anakin, can you do that for me?” 

Anakin took a deep breath and saw spots dance in front of his vision for a brief second. He must have been holding his breath. 

_ Huh. Weird _ . He thought, blinking back spots. He hadn’t done that since he had been a child and couldn’t help the spigot that was his mouth from spewing words, half-formed, and half-thought. 

“Oh, Anakin,” The elder man huffed before his hand came down on his shoulder. He waited a moment; his head cocked as if deciding something. Then, he pulled Anakin forward into a firm embrace. Seeing as the younger man was taller, his head ended up tucking into Obi-Wan’s hair. 

“Even disappointed, I would never abandon you. You’ve got to know that?”

The younger man melted into the hug but didn’t give any indication he’d heard.

“And, yes, I am disappointed,” Obi-Wan admitted, then. Which caused the man in his arms to wilt a little, hunched in on himself;  seeming  so small for  the  Jedi Knight he was. “Disappointed that you kept this front me and that you didn’t trust me with this - and a little hurt, too. I’ll admit all of that, readily,”

“I’m sorry,” Anakin mumbled.

“As you should be,” Obi-Wan sighed, but didn’t take back his arms from the other man. “But, Anakin, here - look at me.” They pulled back from each other, within reaching distance but not as close.  Still, there was an intimacy in just facing each other. Obi-Wan's hands didn't leave his shoulder's, except when he brought his left up to cup the base of Anakin's head so he couldn't turn away.

“Just because I am disappointed with you, or saddened by something you choose to do - that doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon you or stop caring about you,”

Anakin looked at him, searching his gaze for any hint of a lie.

“Yeah?” Anakin queried.

“Yes.”

Obi-Wan had thought they’d settled this issue when he’d been a Padawan, but evidently not.

Anakin still hunched in on himself. “I still feel like crap that I kept this from you. It was my choice, yes, but I never felt right keeping it from you,”

He didn’t admit:   It was eating me alive from the inside out.

He didn’t admit: I’m terrified of what Obi-Wan could say.

He didn’t admit a lot of things. He already felt wrung out like an old towel.

“Anakin, you are my brother, in every way but blood - my family, as close as we were ever going to be part of a family, anyway,” He smiled.

“I just… I did keep this from you,” Anakin said. “And I wanted to get it out in the open. Clear the air. It’s you and me, Obi-Wan,” 

“And Padme,” Obi-Wan interjected.

Anakin conceded the point, “And Padme. But she doesn’t come on missions. When we’re on the battlefield, it’s just the troops and us. We have to watch each other’s backs, just like we always have,”

Obi-Wan nodded, with a smile, but as soon as Anakin turned to tell Padme the news, the smile faded. 

_ Oh, Anakin, _ He thought sadly at the back of his partner's head.  _ You just always have to make it difficult for yourself. _

What to do now but live with what was done?

_ And that he hadn’t told him what was happening.  _ Obi-Wan couldn’t stop watching as Anakin walked away. Somewhere along the way, while they had still been Jedi, he had lost Anakin’s trust. He’d gained it back, probably when he had taken Anakin with him when he left the Order, but the fact of the matter was - he had lost it. 

“Before you go, Anakin,” He called.

Anakin turned around at the door, curious. 

“... How long?”

His former-padawan’s face fell, closed up, but he sighed. Dutifully, he answered even as he clearly didn’t want to, if the mechanical hand in his hair was any indication.

“A few years.  Naboo... After Genonsis. ”

_ Years _ . Obi-Wan repeated to himself. The word bouncing in his head like a ping-pong ball.  _ Years. Force, too many things could happen in a year let alone two - was it three? Force, was it three years? _

All that he was able to say, all that he was able to squeak, was this:

“Oh.”

Trapped. He was trapped. Fight or flight. Spring the trap or run away.

The walls were closing in on him. 

Obi-wan bolted.

* * *

Obi-Wan, for the first time in the past thirty-six hours, was alone. Walking to clear his mind and to connect with the Force without meditating - which he was still a good deal frightened of, if he were being honest with himself. Being thrown into the Force like he had been...it hadn’t hurt, per say, but it had not been delightful either.

As he walked, he tried to wrap his mind around all that had changed.

Now, he and Anakin were free agents. Afloat from the Jedi Order, blazing a new path. A new, terrifying path. It was something he had done before, but never without realizing he didn’t have another choice. Before, when he had been but a Padawan, leaving the Order for the first time - his choice had been a moral one. He couldn’t leave his friends, his allies, because it would have been a death sentence for them. And for the year it had taken to set right their planet, to fight for a chance - it had dawned on him often that he may have made a mistake.

Mistake or not, he followed the Force, as he always did.

Strolling along the small park he’d found outside their new house, Obi-Wan blanked his mind and just felt the ebb and flow of the Force. Like the tide; It was a soothing rhythm. Like a soft tap-tap-tap. A soft susurration of feeling. For a moment he stood, listening, feeling. With a smile on his face he sat on a bench and became absorbed in all the Force.

He took only a second to check his chrono, making sure it wasn’t too late, before settled back onto the park bench.  For a long while after, he just allowed himself to  become  blank. Blank his mind. Blank his emotions. Blank out his life out. For a half-an-hour or an hour (it was difficult to keep track of time when he immersed himself in the Force like this), he sat like that, just basking. 

It was peaceful.  Quiet. Calming.

“Hey! That’s General Kenobi!” Interrupted him as he was getting to a place of true peace. A lie, as surely as anything else was, but still, closer to the truth than he’d been before. 

Pulling back, he looked around the area only to be met with the curious gaze of a female Twi’lek child.  Her bright purple eyes set on her pastel pink face stared at him with childish wonder and amusement as she climbed up onto the bench next to him.

“Well, hello there little one,” He greeted in surprise as she seated herself without any hesitation.

“Hi!”  She greeted. “My name is Lilialia, but you can call me Lila, and I’m six and a half years old. And I saw you on the news the other day when mummy and Aunt Dera were watching! The news person was saying that you left your home.” 

“Is that so?” Obi-Wan asked, enchanted by the little light of the girl in front of him. 

She was a brightness in the Force like the creche was filled with. Probably Force-Sensitive, but he wasn’t sure if she was. Many children were sensitive in the Force to some degree. The children who were in the creche were those that had  **shown** from an early age that they had some manner of control of the Force and who were given up for a better life at the Temple. Those that could feel, but not effect the Force were simply ‘normal’. Those that couldn’t even feel were ‘Null’.

He would decide later if he was going to inform the Jedi Council about her.

“Mhmm, they told me that you left your home cause you guys had a fight,” She told him, interrupting his thoughts again. “Is that true?”

Obi-Wan, feeling a little flustered, pulled back and blinked rapidly. “Well - I - “

“Lila!” Came a voice behind them. Obi-Wan turned to see a pretty pink Twi’lek rushed forward. “What have I  **told** you about running off?”

Lilialia frowned severely, rolling her eyes she huffed and shouted right back. “Mum! I’m not running off with strangers! I’m with Mister General Kenobi!”

“Mister Ke- oh geesh, General Kenobi, sir,“ Her eyes went wide as she realized her daughter wasn’t fibbing. The ex-Jedi really  **was** there in the flesh, and sitting on a bench in their park. “Oh my - I’m so sorry, General,”

Feeling her embarrassment saturate the area, Obi-Wan was quick to settle them all down.

“Please, General is what my men call me. Obi-Wan will do,” He  stated  as he stood to greet the distressed woman. “Your daughter was just telling me about how my face has been plastered all over the holonet these past few hours.”

The Twi’lek woman blushed. 

“Oh! Lila!” She scolded. “You don’t go accosting people.”

The little girl wilted. “I was just saying hi...”

“No, no,” Obi-Wan was quick to dissuade the woman from anger. “No bother, really,” He grinned reassuringly. “I just... wasn’t expected to get interrogated this far from a war zone,”

“I really am sorry,” She apologized, still. “Sometimes she just gets it into her head that she needs to go talk to everyone. Even after we tell her not to,”

Lila smiled brightly.  “Everyone needs a hug!”

Obi-Wan chuckled at the resigned but horrified face of the mother. “I suppose they do. My Padawan would probably deny it, fiercely, but he was rather taken with cuddling when he was younger,”

A fleeting thought that perhaps that hadn’t gone completely away, an image of Padme and Anakin sitting on the couch, closer than necessary. Of them cuddling. Of them being intimate and attached. He still wasn’t sure how to feel about it all. Being a jedi had been... everything to him and that wasn’t something easily shaken off. 

“Padawan?” She asked, blinking up at him with such innocence that his heart hurt. 

“His student,” Her mother supplied. “You remember Anakin Skywalker?”

The little girl’s eyes lit up with wonder as she whispered under her breath, nearly reverent, “The Hero with No Fear!”

Obi-Wan realized he still didn’t have a name for the mother.

“I apologize,” Obi-Wan began, holding out his hand to shake. While the Twi’lek mother did, he continued.  “I didn’t catch your name. Lila here gave hers, but I find I am bereft without yours,”

She gave him a warm smile that took a second to catch, but soon it bloomed over her entire face. 

“Oh you’re a charmer,” She huffed. “The reporters said you were, but I didn’t believe them. And it’s Niftirio, Obi-Wan,” With a sparkle in her eye she drawled. “ _ Sir _ ,”

His eyes lit up in recognition of the game. Nobody had ever out-polite’d Obi-Wan and he wasn’t about to give up his title. So with aristocratic aplomb, he stood to give her a right-proper bow, taking her hand in his as he did to give it a kiss. She’d barely been able to blink before he looked up from his position and said, 

“Pleasure is all mine,  _ Niftirio _ ,”

Niftirio stared at him, mouth hanging open as a blush crept up her neck and to her cheeks.  Lila giggled uncontrollably next to him, in childish glee, hands half covering her face as she blushed with wide eyes. 

“Do me! Do me!” She giggled in delight as she got up off the bench and held her hand out to Obi-Wan, expecting the same treatment. 

Obi-Wan didn’t hesitate to give her a warm smile and kneel down, so he was eye-level with her.

“Why, Lila,” He drawled, with mischievous eyes. “I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting you.”

“Then,” She frowned severely, “then I’m not Lila!”

“Oh?” Obi-Wan asked, amused. 

“No!” 

She thought for a second more.

“I’m Ahsoka!” She grinned wide to herself and then thrust out her hand again.

Seeing no reason to delay the inevitable he repeated his overstated bow and kissed the back of the little girl's hand. No sooner had he finished and about to pull back was he bested.

“Ouch!!” Lila - or was it Ahsoka? - pulled her hand back with a wrinkled nose. Niftirio was immediately on guard, as was Obi-Wan as he cocked his head and looked at the little girl with worry.

Neither of them  were  quite prepared for:

“Your beard is itchy!”

The elder ex-Jedi stared at her for a second - another - and another - before he fell back onto his backside and  _ laughed _ . It was a freeing kind of laugh. The kind that came from your lungs, and extended to your toes. The kind he’d been unknowingly hiding. Bursting with amusement.

The laughter came from within too. An echo of a memory. A memory of what seemed so long ago. Of a young lady he had been tasked with protecting. Of them getting separated from his Master. Of a month in the jungle with such serious expression and life-or-death expectations. Of looking to the lady and thinking how beautiful she was. Of her looking to him and fostering the same growing emotions.

And of how their first kiss had ended much the same.

_ “Ouch! Ugh! Your beard is itchy, Obi-Wan!” _

_ “Sorry, Satine!” _

“I hope I didn't hurt you,” Obi-Wan apologized once he’d gotten control of himself. “It seems I have forgotten that everyone is not used to my beard.”

Lila smiled at him even brighter.

“That’s okay, Obi-Wan,” She said, brightly. Then she added, as if as an afterthought. “Wanna play tag?”

* * *

After playing tag for twenty minutes, Lila’s mother convinced her daughter it was time for ice cream (with a quick muttered breath of: _ then bedtime, little lady _ ). Obi-Wan was glad for the mindless game and genuinely missed her when she and her mother waved goodbye and walked away. He hoped to see them again, but didn’t hold onto that hope for too long.

Grudgingly, Obi-Wan started his trek back to the apartment. Noting he’d only been gone for an hour.

Obi-Wan returned to the apartment to Anakin and Padme sitting on the couch chatting. Just... chatting. Not making out, or snuggling, or having sex - just chatting. It was intimate, but it wasn’t...domestic. Or...or was it? How was Obi-Wan to know? The only relationships he’d seen was  _ outside  _ of households. What did husbands and wives do, well, beside be intimate in bed? How were households managed? How did two people manage so closely?

Shaking himself, he realized that wasn’t helping.

_ You can do this _ ; he told himself as he walked in.  _ Just... pretend that this isn’t affecting you until you don’t have to anymore.  _

_ Fake it till you make it.  _

_ Do, not try. _

It was all right in practice, but seeing as he’d practically run out of the suite an hour ago, Obi-Wan was still understandably nervous.

When he walked into range, Anakin was the one to stop talking first to jump up.

“Obi-Wan!” He said, and there was relief painted all over him and his force presence. 

It was... well, it was always somewhat adorable. Some mannerisms just didn’t change over the years, and ‘excited’ Anakin still jumped up like his legs were too long, and too gangly for him, his smile bright and his force presence blinding.

Obi-Wan could never have stayed angry at him. Or even...perturbed.  Not really. 

“Hello, Anakin,” He said right back.

And something...settled.  Clicked into place, like a missing puzzle piece.  And then he didn’t have to pretend. And then he was free. 

He walked into the room to join them on the couches.

“I apologize for running away, this all has been...”

“Rather overwhelming?” Padme prompted.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan admitted, leaning back further into the couch across from them. “‘Rather overwhelming’ is an astute observation,”

Anakin was throwing out a lot of emotions and feelings. Nervousness, mostly. Obi-Wan gave him a pointed poke over the bond, a reminder to get himself together. With a flush he did just that, blanketing his feeling and settling. There was a time and place for everything, and Obi-Wan and he had been letting themselves go more than usual.

: **_Sorry,_ ** : Anakin said, before blanketing himself fully into a form of calm and composed that Obi-Wan actually believed. They would need to for the conversation Obi-Wan wanted to have.

“Can we talk...alone?” Obi-Wan asked, but pointed it at Padme. 

She smiled at him before getting up and dusting off her skirt. “Of course,” She straightened up and patted Anakin on his shoulder. “I’ll just be in my room. Come get me when you’re done,” 

Padme was elegant even as she was snubbed from her own living quarters. As she passed Obi-Wan she patted his shoulder, too, to tell him there were no hard feelings. She’d been trying to get Anakin to tell someone about their marriage for months. Obi-Wan being the most obvious choice, but at the time Obi-Wan had been clearly... divided in loyalties. Which, Padme could understand.

If she had been a Jedi, she wasn’t sure she could have held herself as a General of the Republic  **and** a Jedi. The two were nearly antithesis to each other. Peacekeepers and those that went to War.

She kept her mouth shut, though, as made her way out.

That could be discussed later.


	9. I’ve Got All My Time to Give

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan is dealing with Anakin's bombshell after deciding to shift his views. As they wait for their appointment with the Lawyer, Solo, and the rest of the Republic's decision on what to do with them - they have a good chunk of time to themselves.  
> Part of that deligated to sleeping in a heap on the couch.  
> The other part to sparring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this last month AKA November is like... my families hang-out month. I basically took a computer sabbatical for nearly half of it (which was kind of impressive considering I work on computers all day).  
> Still, should have had this chapter out like last weekend but I've been busy. Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, homework, etc etc etc - So.  
> Uhm. It's here now? Here you go? Please don't come after me for not updating for like a month?  
> I've had this chapter written, so enjoy some fluff and domestic ex-Jedi boys!

Alone, Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at each other. 

As always, it was Obi-Wan who started. 

“You just can’t make things easy on yourself, can you?”

Anakin paled but tried to crack a smile. It didn’t really work with how nervous he was. 

“Sorry, Master,” He ducked his head. The silence echoed as if Obi-Wan was just staring at him. “But, if life was easy, would it be worth living?”

Anakin peeked up through his fringe, to watch his partner's reactions.

Obi-Wan just shook his head, but Anakin knew it was fondly done. He relaxed a little as he realized Obi-Wan wasn’t going to ream him out. He just wanted to talk. Just... talk. Oh. Geesh. Obi-Wan was going to talk. A thousand talks. A thousand reprimands rushed through his head.

Then, it was like the floodgates opened. 

“We love each other,”  Anakin  started with. “If that helps. Which, well, I don’t know if it does. Love has never been the Jedi way, after all. Compassion? Sure, but love? No way. I’ve gotten that lecture about ten hundred times... And Naboo Senators aren’t exactly forbidden from marrying, but it was very taboo. We knew the rest of the world wouldn’t see it as a good thing, but... to us it was - ”

“Anakin,”  Obi-Wan said softly. 

The younger man looked up through his fringe in surprise, startled at being interrupted.  However,  Obi-Wan didn’t look angry, or upset, or negative; he looked... soft. Understanding. The walk had taken out the harsh glow of surprise and replaced it with something Anakin hadn’t seen in awhile.

Something he’d not really seen since the war had begun; something that looked a lot like forgiveness.

Forgiveness hadn’t been something to be given freely during those long months of their war campaigns. Nor had Anakin expected to find it so blatantly right now. Especially after what he’d just revealed.

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Obi-Wan said, with a sigh. “There was a reason you didn’t say anything. I am more worried about  **that** reason, than anything else, and no -” He chided when Anakin opened his mouth. ”Not because of you. Because of  _ me _ , Anakin,”

Anakin pulled back sharply. 

That wasn’t how this conversation was supposed to go. This was obviously his fault. He had to fix it.

“What do you mean by that?”

“There was a reason you didn’t trust me with this, with your feelings, or your emotions, and I know it was because of me. I made you feel that way.  _ I _ did something that made you think you couldn’t trust me,” 

He sat still as Obi-Wan talked. He wanted the older man to stop - but he couldn’t say anything to sooth e him, because he was right. Anakin, for a long time, hadn’t trusted Obi-Wan with his secrets.  He didn’t know when it began. Only that it had. When slowly, but surely, he had turned away from speaking his truth to Obi-Wan. Turned from explaining and fighting, to walking away and holding onto regret. Instead of trusting Obi-Wan - who had  always  listened with open ears and no judgement just a calm and even presence - he had begun to hide away. And once he started, there seemed to be no reason to stop .

“I don’t take all the blame, of course,” Obi-Wan made sure to clarify. “You made your choices. Just as I made mine. We both were... in the wrong here. Neither of us were wronger than the other, but the situation as it is, was made by us. Both of us.”

_ Obi-Wan was right, of course. _ Anakin knew this. It was just another piece of the puzzle clicking back into place.

“So,” Obi-Wan said, watching Anakin carefully. “I want that to stop. I want us to stop making mistakes with each other. We said, before, that there would be no more secrets between us, but I don’t think that’s going to  be sufficient .”

“Wait? What?” Anakin straightened, horrified. Thinking that Obi-Wan wanted to go this alone now after everything. “Obi-Wan I thought we were working out the kinks not - “

“ _ Anakin _ ,”

He shut his mouth with a click,  automatically responding to that tone of voice. Fond, amused, a hint of hesitation. It spoke of too much history for something to be broken now. Anakin let his fist relax, vowing to allow Obi-Wan to finish.

“That’s not what I meant...and you know it,” Obi-Wan reprimanded gently. “There must not be any more secrets between us. None at all. And I do believe we both have our share of secrets, Anakin.  We need communication, Anakin. Real, sit down face to face communication...  which is why I would like to propose... a change to our partnership,”

Anakin blinked. Blinked again. 

“Propose a change how?” He asked, and before Obi-Wan could begin, he rose, coming over to his couch to sit with him. That sent a trickle of almost physical nervousness to alight in Anakin’s stomach. “I mean... how much more out of the box can we get? I get the communication bit, I do - but... what else?”

“Just,” He passed an aggravated hand through his hair. “Listen before you pass judgment?”

After waiting for a nod, Obi-Wan began to explain. “When I went for a walk to clear my head,” He took a breath. “I realized that you and I, for all our close bond, have not had much chance to talk. And I mean really talk. Which lead me to thoughts of your marriage, and how you didn’t say anything to me, and how we can’t continue like this - We can’t. Not after leaving the Council. Not after leaving the Order. We have to... we have to be better.” 

He took a deep breath, staring at his hands. Anakin itched to do something, but he didn’t know what. 

“We need to not only be honest, but we need to inform each other of the skeletons in our closets. From tonight onward, no more keeping secrets. We need to... we need to tell each other our secrets. All of them,” 

“...  _ Now _ ? Tonight?” 

Obi-Wan chuckled, running a hand through his hair. Anakin noticed he was nervous only because  _ he  _ was acting nervous.

“No, tonight I just... I wanted to clear the air before there could be any more miscommunication,”

“... And we’d just... What?” Anakin asked, feeling defensive. “Accept each other for everything?”

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. “... Yes?”

Anakin curled up onto the couch further into the cushions. It was... it was an attractive offer. Also an absolutely terrifying offer. Open up, and not just fully - but completely. Anakin didn’t know if Obi-Wan had any real skeletons in his closet, but Anakin knew he had  _ many _ . Real one’s, too. Dead bodies he would rather shove until they reached the farthest part of his closet and fell off a cliff. But... he also knew talking about it would help. He knew releasing that closed door, that secret, would set him free.

Freedom had always been an attractive offer but now that it was sat in front of him like a fat, satisfied cat; Anakin realized he had no clue what to do with it. 

A deal. A deal of honesty.

The only person Anakin would ever make such a deal with was sitting right in front of him. 

“Whose skeletons are you expecting to be worse?” Anakin asked before he could stop himself. 

Looking at him with a more critical eye, Obi-Wan turned more fully towards him.

“I would have said mine before you said that,” The elder man stated, dryly. “Where did that come from?”

“I’ve done some things...”

After Anakin’s Knighting, they had been separated for a good year or two, to make sure he could play well with others without Obi-Wan being around. To separate and to stop fostering the attachment of Padawan-dom, it was done to every new knight. No exceptions. Obi-Wan knew this and could only assume the things that could happen in that time period.

“So have I,” Obi-Wan shook his head. “We both have. But that’s why we need to be honest, now, more than ever.”

Sighing, Anakin sized Obi-wan up. “What if... what if it’s too much?” 

“What if  _ what’s _ too much?”

“Learning everything about each other... What if it's just too much for us?”

Obi-Wan chuckled. His eyes alight with amusement.

“You just told me you’d been married for the last few years, Anakin,” His eyes sparkled with life. “Believe me - we’re past the point where secrets will hinder us. They could only set us free at this point,”

Anakin liked the sound of that.

Secrets coming to light bringing freedom. It was... it was a nice painted picture. Anakin liked it more than he thought he would. Liked being able to, one day, tell Obi-Wan about how he had lost control. How he had cradled his dead mother in his arms and cried, terror and grief warring into a cyclone inside him. How he had looked at Padme and knew that she and he were destined, like the greatest. Like stars named after the epics. How he had touched the Darkside but pulled himself back. How the dark side had tasted of promise, and power, and everything that Anakin could ever want - and how he had pulled himself back.

He wanted to tell him. Not now, but one day.

And that was enough.

“I’m in,”

* * *

Padme came in an hour after she had left, antsy and wanting to know what the hell had been decided. She had waited, patiently, but Anakin had never come into the room, had not called for her, and it just had made her too anxious to wait for a parasecond longer.

As she came into the sitting room, she was assaulted by the silence. 

That was her first clue, but she wasn’t sure how to make sense of it all. Was it a bad thing? Had one of them stormed off? Were they gone? Both of them? Was she about to walk in on Anakin curled into a ball, sniffling? What about on Obi-Wan in the same position?

Padme came around the corner to... a sight.

Obi-Wan and Anakin were faced towards each other on the couch, fast asleep. Her husband was slumped like a fallen giraffe, arm thrown towards Obi-Wan, hand on his shoulder, and snoring softly. Obi-Wan in turn had his head propped up on his hand, chin slumped forwards, slowly inching downward as gravity pulled him closer and closer to the couch. It was as if they had been talking and slowly but surely drifted off. 

Knowing her husband as she did, he had probably been the first to start tilting towards dream-land, stubbornly denying it, speech slurring as he tried to keep up with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had probably thought he could resist the urge, rather than get up and go to his own bed, and had slumped soon after.

It was... damn it all. It was  _ cute _ . Padme bit her lip to stop from laughing and smiling like a loon.

Padme walked closer, smiling, wishing she had something to take a holo with. She debated with waking them or letting them sleep, when the decision was made for her. Anakin stretched in his sleep, snorting as he slapped himself in the face, before blinking groggily. He sat up, still on sleepy autopilot. 

He saw Obi-wan and, after some kind of numb sleepy calculations, quickly moved, for a sleepy person that is, into a more prone position. And by moved, Padme of course watched him collapse. All loose limbs that were barely in control.

Padme was going to say something, she was, but then Anakin flopped himself forward into Obi-Wan’s lap. The elder man grunted but didn’t wake up, as he twisted over more onto his butt, slapping himself in the face in the processes, as Anakin’s head landed on his thigh. They looked like twisted pretzels as they settled back down and Padme was treated to the rare sight of Anakin settling right back down into sleep, barely skipping a beat.

Even unconscious it had the rhythm of routine, of ritual, of symmetry.

It was a precious glimpse into these two’s lives. Lives without her. A life of the Jedi. Where Obi-Wan had been Anakin’s Master for numerous years. Where sleep was snatched in any scraps they could. Where Obi-Wan was Master; Where Anakin was Padawan. Anakin’s only real confidant in the Jedi, Obi-Wan had been everything to the once slave-boy, Anakin had once confided in her. And when they went into battle, they had their troops, but often times, was that even enough? Their backup was just that - backup. Risking their lives like that was second nature. It was... Jedi.

Padme would never know exactly what these two had gone through. No matter if Anakin told her every single emotion he felt, or what he did every moment of every day, or what he ate, or how the world looked from the hull of a ship about to go into battle, or what the sun felt like after fighting for two hours. 

She’d never fully understand. 

A weight was lifted from her heart. No. She may never understand, but  _ they  _ did.

At least they had each other.

Deciding to let them have their time together, even asleep, she went to grab a blanket. 

* * *

Obi-Wan woke first slowly, with a kink in his neck. There was a heavy, but not unpleasant, warmth in his lap. Considering there were very few things the comforting weight could be, among them an animal, a child, or his padawan, Obi-Wan was far from alarmed. All things he imagined were not bad, perhaps awkward, but not bad.

He smiled as he opened his eyes and realized it was Anakin. 

His Padawan. One hand was curled under his chin, shoulders hunched forward, and he was turned towards Obi-Wan, sprawled across his lap. Sleep softened around his edges, mouth turned down, hair a mess; Anakin was adorable. And he looked so innocent. Like he was that kid again, falling asleep on Obi-Wan to get the elder to go to sleep with him after a long day when Obi-Wan’s mind wouldn’t shut up or down. Manipulative but not too terribly bad, just trying to get Obi-wan to take care of himself.

Obi-Wan sighed as he petted a hand through Anakin’s soft curls. Muscle memory pulling the action from within him.

Anakin made a little sound, a kind of moaning croon, which meant he was on the edge of waking. Fighting it. Pulling back his hand, he watched as Anakin slowly curled into himself more, in a bid to fight his imminent awakening.

Unable to help himself, Obi-Wan reached forward again to run a hand through Anakin’s hair. And that’s when the blond woke up completely to look up at him with bleary eyes and a red mark on his face where he’d been laying.

Their eyes met. Obi-Wan and Anakin. Freshly awoken from sleep. The air about them was tender, equal, and warm. Obi-Wan’s mouth twitched into a smirk as Anakin just blinked up at him, like a slothia. Obi-Wan thought he was going to say something, except that was giving the younger man too much credit. For Anakin was not a morning person. Obi-Wan petted his hair, and Anakin looked at him bleary and trusting.

Then Anakin promptly shut his eyes and dragged the blanket up around himself.

* * *

Anakin woke safe and comfy and warm.

It was like his Padawan days, back when he and Obi-Wan used to share a bed on their missions. Except there wasn’t the usual bite of cold to his face and extremities found in deep space. It was just... comfortable. 

Curling up more, Anakin shifted just enough to feel the boney imprint of Obi-Wan’s knee against his cheek. _ So he  _ **_was_ ** _ on Obi-wan _ , Anakin thought to himself in groggy amusement. He opened his eyes for a split second to see Obi-Wan’s face, before he decided he didn’t want to get up. Huffing a little snort as he grabbed the blanket and hitched it higher up himself, under his chin.

He was still in that half-awake state where he didn’t know where he truly was but didn’t care because he was comfy. A hand landed on his head - again - threading through his hair. A small pleased sound left his throat before he could try and smother it. Not that he would have.

Someone chuckled above him. 

He knew that chuckle. 

Anakin tried to say ‘good morning’. 

All that came out was: “Mrfphing,” 

“Good morning to you too, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said above him, in that crisp clear accent of his, as if he hadn't just woken up. The traitor. He wasn’t sleepy, which meant he was really, really awake. Rolling over so he was on his back, Anakin squinted up to see Obi-Wan looking ruffled but put together. Like he always did in the morning. 

Anakin would be jealous if it wasn’t so Obi-Wan.

It was then that Anakin noticed that even though he was warm, he wasn’t exactly comfortable. The couch was making itself known on his lower back. His shoulder ached from the position. Prosthetic digging in awkwardly into his stomach.

“We fell asleep on the couch,” He complained, shoving his face into Obi-Wan belly and groaning. “Ughhh. Why didn’t Padme wake us?”

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply but Padme beat him to it.

“Couldn’t bring myself to do it. You two looked cute,” 

Obi-Wan looked over him at the other end of the room with a raised brow. Anakin blinked and rolled over in surprise to see Padme sitting, with a steaming cup of tea, on the couch across from them. She had a datapad in her hand, a neat pile of them next to her, as if she had been reading through the series before they awoke.

“How long have you been there, Padme?” Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin was surprised the older man hadn’t noticed Padme before then. Obi-Wan was usually more observant than that. Pushing that thought away he stretched his hands over his head, before sitting up. The heavy blanket falling off and into his lap as he straightened. His clothes were delightfully, and grossly, sleep wrinkled.

Padme watched appreciatively as moved, before answering. “Just an hour or two,”

Anakin blinked at her. “Wait, a whole hour?”

Padme snorted. 

“I had my reading, Anakin, it wasn’t a hardship to let you sleep,” She assured, pulling up her documents. “Plus, I know sleep has been in short supply. For the  **both** of you. If you both managed to get more than four hours,  _ which you did,  _ by the way, I was going to consider it a success,” 

Then she was babbling. 

“Besides, it’s not like you both have gotten a lot of sleep. You know? Or had a chance to just hang out with each other. The war has been long, and trying, and I just wanted to let you guys have a little bit of time together. Even unconscious. I mention that, right? How you both just needed time to work out your issues and - ”

Anakin smiled as she couldn’t seem to contain herself. 

“Padme,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “It’s fine, we understand,”

Anakin noticed a slight tremor in Padme’s hand. And the still hot cup. She usually drank one when she awoke, and then however many needed afterward. He put two and two together. It clicked.

“How many cups have you had?” He asked as he rose to his feet. 

“Three,” 

Her hand shook and she flushed. 

Anakin raised a brow. “Really?”

“.... Alright, fine, four. But that’s it!”

Anakin was adept at reading between the lines of his wife’s omissions.

“That’s your fifth, isn’t it?” Anakin nodded towards the cup. Padme primly lifted her nose and glared at him, which told Anakin he was right. When she got like this, it was best to just take the tea away before she got it into her head that she needed  _ more _ . Shaking his head, he moved forward to take it, but Padme beat him to it.

Anakin could only gape as she threw it back, quickly swallowing, probably burning her throat in the process, but stopping his hand mid-air from snatching the cup. With a victorious smile, tears in her eyes from the pain, she managed to look both pitiful and triumphant.

There was a beat of silence broken only when Obi-Wan burst out laughing.

Padme and Anakin both turned to look at him.

“Er, you okay there, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan just continued laughing, until tears were streaming down his face. He tried to talk, but each time it only came out as more of the same wheezing and snorting sounds. Each time he almost calmed down, he burst into a more powerful guffaw. 

Padme watched in amusement, while Anakin’s alarm grew.

_ Was Obi-Wan okay? Was this some kind of attack? What the hell was so blasted funny? _

Then Obi-Wan’s laugh finally died down and he wiped at his eyes. He looked to Anakin, then, and soothed the younger man’s fears that his master had gone crazy by holding up a palm. Though what he said, made Anakin blush deeply to his ears and neck.

“I see it now,” Obi-Wan admitted. “I got it, for the most part, before, but now. Now I really get it,” 

Anakin was about to demand what, but Obi-Wan obliged and told him, without any flourishes.

“She’s perfect for you, Anakin,”

Even Padme blushed. 

“Just as stubborn, just as amusing,” Obi-Wan mused to himself, still smiling at them. “Yes, I can see why you both decided to get married. Much to the galaxies chagrin I imagine,”

It was simultaneously the best and most heartfelt thing Anakin had ever heard from the elder man. Something that had wound around his heart suddenly unclenched. It all fell away. And suddenly, Anakin believed what Obi-Wan had said last night. Anyone who knew him this well deserved to know it all. No matter how bad, no matter how horrible, no matter how... intimate.

With a smile, he held his hand out to his best-friend. 

“Hungry?”

Obi-Wan blinked before nodding, as if surprised, and grabbed his hand. 

“Starved.”

* * *

Breakfast was a simple affair. An even spread of Naboo and Coruscant cuisine. Obi-Wan and Anakin ate their fill, practically overeating. After the stress of the last two days, it was the first substantial meal both of the Jedi had had for a long while. The Fox had been nice, but it had been ‘Senatorial’ food. Better fit for rabbits.

As they ate, they talked. Padme revealed what she had been working on; a new bill for supplying the troops and allies within the Republic. It would cut down supply line times as well as better prepare the Republic for emergencies or surprise attacks. It was a fascinating topic, and Obi-Wan participated joyfully as they bantered back and forth. It was such an Obi-Wan thing to be excited about.

Anakin watched on, amused, but well aware he didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation. The topic of supply lines was vital, but Anakin would much rather discuss droids, or ships, or clones. Or... well, anything else.

He sipped his juice and waited out his wife and best friends debate. It had to end, eventually, he knew. Waiting it out was the hard part.

As he sat, he became lost within his own mind.

The last few days had been... exhausting. Exhausting but worth it. Anakin felt the chains that had held him to the Jedi crumble and fall with each passing hour. He still felt a weight on his chest, of duty, of doing what he must, but he could breathe past it all. Like he’d poked holes in the durasteel it had once been made up of. 

Obi-Wan was here with him, and that was all that mattered.

He smiled over as Padme and Obi-Wan became more animated. Throwing hands every now and then to emphasize a point. A soft kind of warmth overtook Anakin then. Filled his heart with such pride and love for these two dorks in front of him. Because they were dorks, there was no doubt. 

It came to Anakin then, that this was it. This was his life now. Their life, now.

Sure, Obi-Wan and he himself were beholden to the Republic, as was Padme with her Senatorial ties, but that was just semantics. They were loyal to each other. They were loyal to their Clones. They were loyal to the ideology of the Light side. They were loyal to themselves. They were loyal people, just not to the Council any longer.

For once, they could decide for themselves how their lives would play out. 

A terrible and rarely given control. A disruption that they wouldn’t take for granted, even if they were taking it slowly.

From what Anakin had seen, he was hopeful that it wouldn’t end too terribly awfully.

Obi-Wan huffed at something Padme said, and then as one, they turned to look at him.

“Hmm, yes?” Anakin queried, smiling into his drink, well aware they were both going to gang up on him.

“What do  _ you  _ think?”

He waved a hand dismissively. “You  _ know  _ I wasn’t listening,”

Obi-Wan smirked. “Oh, we know. We’d still like your opinion,”

“It will be good practice, you know, Ani,” Padme added, leaning forward over her empty plate. “Being able to talk about any subject that comes up at the Senate Galas,”

Anakin’s own amusement faded and he groaned. Head thunking to the table in front of him.

“Padmeeeeee,”

_ Kark. He was going to have to talk with the Senators now, wasn’t he? Like, really talk to them? Not just brush them off with claims of ‘duty’? _

Obi-Wan confirmed his thoughts. “We’re no longer going to be just Jedi bodyguards or Jedi  _ anything _ . Generals, yes, but not Jedi. It will be complicated. Everyone is going to be curious about our thoughts on Republic matters. And we should present a united front,”

Anakin nodded, of course, he agreed.

“Do we have to start now?” He whined.

Both Obi-Wan and Padme just laughed at him.

 

* * *

They took an hour to ‘tutor’ Anakin, with Obi-Wan learning along the way (war campaigns didn’t leave a lot of time to catch up on home-world politics), but soon enough they took a break. Well, as much a break as they could take with Anakin starting to get anxious. Anxious and antsy, his hands twitching and his leg bouncing. Then, he was up.

Anakin was pacing. 

Obi-Wan wasn’t even sure how he had so much energy left after their whole day yesterday, even with sleeping eight hours, but it was inspiring. Padme and Obi-Wan sat on the couch and watched Anakin and his back and forth. 

Back and forth. 

Back and forth. 

“Ani, dear,” Padme said - and geesh, she’s his wife. Obi-Wan could kick himself for never realizing, but it was worse than that. He should have seen it. “Sit. Please?”

Anakin shook his head.

“I... I can’t. I feel,” His left hand clenched into a fist. “I feel like I’m vibrating.”

_ Oh. Well then. _ Obi-Wan rose, he knew how to deal with Anakin when he was like this. Amusingly, it was usually to send Anakin to Padme to... work off some steam. Not that he had known it at the time, not really. Maybe Anakin was trying to be better about Obi-Wan’s feelings because he hadn’t stepped a foot towards his wife.

“How about a quickie?” Obi-Wan asked, rising.

Padme nearly broke her neck as she snapped around to blink at Obi-Wan dumbly with widening eyes.  Anakin drew to a stop, shoulders slumping in relief as he turned to his master. A small, mollified smile on his face.

“Kark yes!” 

“Rooftop?” Obi-Wan asked, as he held out his hand and his lightsaber, which had been sitting on his robes on the corner of the coffee table, flew to him.

Anakin’s eyes lit up and he nodded, happily, dancing forward to scoop up his own lightsaber. 

“That will give us the most space to work with, yes,”

Understanding fluttered across Padme’s face and she relaxed with relief. Obi-Wan was a little baffled about what she thought they had meant to do. Sparing was the logical conclusion... but perhaps not for a Senator? Obi-Wan was momentarily lost in his thoughts, going over his words, as she stood and came over to him, touching his arm to draw him back to the land of the living.

“May I accompany you two?” She asked.

Anakin beamed. “Absolutely!” He looked to Obi-Wan.

The elder sighed, never able to say no to those puppy dog eyes. “Of course,”

Padme gave them both a brilliant smile before going to fetch her coat. Warmth infused the Force from Anakin’s side of the bond and Obi-Wan wasn’t the least bit surprised to find himself echoing it. It was such simple pleasure. Showing off and working out their tensions and relaxing - it was familiar, too. Sparring was cathartic.

Once Padme returned they made their way to the roof via the lift. No one spoke, just enjoyed each other’s presence. Anakin had fallen still, no more pacing, more as if he was thinking about the upcoming battle. Focused. Obi-Wan sends amusement and triumphs through the bond.

Anakin glared at him, knowing that Obi-Wan was taunting him. 

As was his usual response, he pushed smugness and arrogance. 

Obi-Wan huffed a short-laugh, before turning to face the doors once again.

Then, they were on the rooftop and Padme had barely exited before they began.

No one will wait for you to be ready, was a rule. 

Being a rule, Anakin and Obi-Wan very rarely had ‘traditional’ sparring matches. Even back at the temple. War had taken what had once been a relatively relaxing, harmless training tool and turned it into bloody necessity. The rules had changed from peacetime rules to wartime rules. 

And the first rule was simple: Attack first.

The Jedi liked to think that wasn’t the first rule. Wanting to believe they were still those same peacetime Jedi, who spoke with words slick with the Force, rarely used their lightsabers, and even rarer were the ‘bad guys’. But they were. To at least a portion of the galaxy, they  **were** the bad guys.

Even if the other Jedi did not acknowledge that Obi-Wan always had. To not acknowledge that, was to welcome ruin.

Anakin fought like a wild animal. Brute force, all sharp edges, ramming and rolling and jumping and dodging. As if there were no rhyme or reason, but Obi-Wan knew better. Had trained Anakin better. If no one else could ever understand Anakin’s true style, then that was fine with Obi-Wan - because that meant he was safe. 

Obi-Wan stuck to tradition. Knowing it worked and working it well. He preferred perfection to force. In that way he and Anakin were night and day, and their sparring was as unconventional as they were. 

Yet, they worked. Always would.

Sabers flashing, Anakin dodged as Obi-Wan brought his own down, which led into him leaping away as Anakin came back. Both twisted away at the same time as they crossed sabers and forced each other to jump back, to avoid slashing sabers. A pause. A lull in battle. As fleeting as a blink, and then they were back together. Clashing.

They distantly kept aware of Padme, where she was (by the lift) but did not further pull her in beside giving her a show. They fought. It was brutal, but it wasn’t out of control. Obi-Wan would never allow that.

Time passed, as it did, and Obi-Wan realized he was sweating through his undershirt before he realized that Anakin was panting, hard. Anakin realized that they were getting sloppy before he realized his footing was slipping. 

Stopping at the same moment, though, was easy enough. 

It just felt... right.

Pulling himself up, Anakin ran his flesh hand through his hair as he panted, turning off his lightsaber. Sweat dripping. Obi-Wan following suit and leaning over to heave.

“What was up with you leaving your right side unguarded?” Anakin panted, leaning his head back to suck in a deep breath. Obi-Wan waited to answer until Anakin was looking at him.

“You like to go for the obvious weakness,” Breath back he continued, nearly going into a lecture. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twice. An obvious weakness - “

Anakin finished. “is an obvious trap.”

Obi-wan inclined his head before praising him. 

“And you didn’t fall for it this time. Good for you,”

Slicking his hair back, Anakin smiled brightly.

“That was impressive,” Padme interrupted them. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan looked over, surprised, having forgotten her momentarily. She was rising from where she had seated herself. Awe dripping from her. She’d seen them fight, been part of their battles a few times, even, but she had not been present for any of their sparring matches. It had always seemed such a Jedi secret.

Anakin puffed up and preened under her praise, still heaving and brightly flushed from the exercise.

He looked more even now. Less like he wanted to pick a fight and more like he wanted to sit and talk. Like the sparring had sapped the extra energy out of his body and left him as a once again pleasant person. Not Jedi Knight Anakin, but just Anakin.

There was still a wild kind of energy to him. Obi-Wan noticed. That would make him pace again soon enough. Make him restless and easily angered. An idea came to him then. It had worked before, when Anakin was a Padawan, as even as a Jedi Knight.

“We still have a few hours until we need to meet Solo, correct?” Obi-Wan asked Padme, as he strapped his lightsaber on his hip.

“That’s right. Why?”

Anakin perked up, wondering why Obi-Wan was asking.

Obi-Wan just smiled at his hopeful but wary expression. 

“How about spending that time meditating?”

Anakin deflated, but dutifully nodded. “I suppose, Master,”

When they arrived back at the suite, Obi-Wan led Anakin over to the maintenance droid he had been working on before. Obi-Wan quietly, without saying a word, sat down next to it. He had no intention of actually meditating, but this was more for Anakin. To remind him that their routine, that their life, wasn’t going to be so abruptly pulled out from under them. Even with his eyes closed, he felt Anakin sit and begin tinkering. His energy mellowing even farther.

He counted that as a win.

* * *

Padme retreated a few steps into the hallway before turning back around to watch the two ex-Jedi.

It was a strangely domestic scene, as well as being completely alien and foreign.

Obi-Wan sitting, eyes closed, meditating; Anakin smiling down at his scattered bits and pieces, fiddling and working the problem of the broken droid.

She knew Anakin. Knew his mannerisms. Knew what made him skittish and more likely to talk, or to shut up. Knew what made him coil tighter, and what made him relax. She knew all of this, and yet, still, it was Obi-Wan who had managed to calm him down, settle him, and distract him from his own mind within an hour. With a strong and guiding hand, Obi-Wan had accomplished more than Padme could ever hope to. 

An hour. She shook her head in bemusement.

The only time she’d managed that was when they’d engaged in... extracurricular activities. And even then, Anakin was skittish and high-strung within a few hours. As if he had too much pep in his step, not enough to do, and not enough time to relieve his energy. 

_ Perhaps _ , Padme thought,  _ it was because Obi-Wan was exhausting  _ **_both_ ** _ parts of Anakin.  _

The physical and mental parts. His mind and his body. 

She stood and watched for a while longer, entranced by this show of Jedi life in her living room.

Obi-Wan rarely moved. Anakin was all movement. Yet, the energy was the same. Calm, relaxed... trusting.

At first, watching had been easy, but the longer she had stood and observed the more it felt like she was intruding on this part of her husband's life. On Obi-Wan’s life. On this part of their... ritual.

Padme left then. Turned and walked away. Leaving them to their meditation.

* * *

Obi-Wan was, of course, not meditating.

Anakin knew that. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin knew that. Neither brought the subject up. Not just because it simply wasn’t done, but because it wasn’t something that Anakin had ever felt like they needed to point out to each other. Not even Obi-Wan had called him out on ‘not mediating’ during meditation hour in the mornings. Not even when he had been a Padawan and mediating was a lesson in futility.

So neither spoke, but the silence felt... comfortable.

It always had. Why would it change now?


	10. We Grew Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Anakin go meet the lawyer. Then they go pick-up Padme's dry cleaning.  
> One of those things does not go as planned.  
> Then, Obi-Wan gets a call from a Jedi friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so, I have made a mistake. Freakin.... Do you know how HARD it is to come up with titles using this stupid song??? I swear, I hope I don't scrape the bottom of the barrel as I get further along but I hold out very little hope I won't be like naming chapters: "I will survive version 3 (Obi-Wan and Anakin make-out version),"  
> -sigh-  
> Anywho, we have just one more chapter before Obi-Wan goes to Kamino! Which is when this story goes from slightly AU, to completely new universe. :) wink wink nudge nudge!  
> I have about three more complete chapters written and am continually working on the arc after what I have written. I am hoping to get a lot written over Christmas break, but no promises. A lot of it is nitty gritty details and figuring out exactly what I want to happen when. Not easy, I promise you.  
> But, oh well! :) If you guys wanna chat about it, you can always find me on my AO3, same name, ;D Also the last Jedi... haven't seen it yet but it already looks like a cluster fuck??? Whats up with that???  
> BLAH. Regardless -  
> Enjoy this newest chapter!!

Adrian Solo was about what Obi-Wan expected: a man with an arrogance that hung on him like a cloak, a self-assured nearly-dirty smile, and a good head on his shoulders. Smart, tenacious, and sharky. Like a lawyer should be.

After greetings were exchanged, Solo asked to see a copy of the contract. Which Obi-Wan handed over without fuss. Now they were all sitting on his comfortable couches as he read through the minutiae. He was focused, Obi-Wan could sense. The ex-Jedi felt their lives were in good hands. Listening, he poured himself and Anakin some tea.

“They want your new title to be... Je-Yudai Agent. Like.. Like a Jedi and Special Agent all smashed together, huh?” 

Was the first thing Adrian really said to them, reading over their contract.

“I suppose you could say that,”

“Hmmm,” Solo hummed, noncommittally. “I’ll admit, when Senator Amidala called me on behalf of you both, I was expecting a contract with a lot more loopholes,”

“There are so few?” Obi-Wan asked, raising an eyebrow. 

The man nodded.

_ Now, that was a surprise _ . It showed an astounding amount of faith on the Chancellor's part to write a contract for any military personnel with transparency... it spoke of trust, of understanding, of an ease of friendship. Something the Jedi had only shared with fellow Jedi.

Obi-Wan relaxed into his chair, feeling as if this might actually be a short meeting after all.

“So are there any major things we need to petition to change?” Anakin asked, leaning on his flesh arm and cocking his head like a particularly cute puppy with floppy ears. 

“Nothing major, just minor things I would suggest,” Solo said, eyes still scanning and red pen flashing out to circle indiscriminately.

For so few things, for such minor changes, he was sure writing a lot in the margins of the document.

“Such as...?” Obi-Wan prompted.

Solo snorted but finally looked up to them. “Well, here,” He flipped a few pages. “It says that ‘employment may be terminated at the discretion of the Senate,’ which is not something we want for you guys. That means the Senate could just vote you guys out of a job, which is not good. It’s a simple word choice, but I am suggesting a change to ‘employment termination at discretion of Chancellor  **and** Senate only after majority vote, and after all standard military policies are met’,”

Obi-Wan smirked. Yes, he liked that better too. Especially knowing that all Republic officials, military or otherwise, had to first be given a multitude of warnings and hearings and what-not before any talk of being ‘fired’. Not that Obi-Wan was worried. They were both smart, impressive, and well-trained people. The Republic would hate losing them.

“Sounds good,” Anakin said, “You wanna just go through the whole document and then go over it with us again when you’re done?”

“No need,” Solo said, flicking the cap back on his pen. “I’m done. It’s a pretty good deal if I don’t say so myself. Your ranking is considered on par with Fleet Admirals, except you are excluded from that position as well as being afloat next to it. Like the Jedi Generals, you will have a ship of your own, with a crew to match and you are the ultimate authority on it unless requested by an  _ actual _ Fleet Admiral. If this were a new contract, that would take a few months to finalize, but you both already have a fleet at your disposal, so it’s just formalities,”

Anakin blinked at the jargon while Obi-Wan listened intently. Solo was good. He was able to read, translate, and then dumb down his explanation enough for anyone not adept at skimming contracts would be able to understand what they were signing.

The Chancellor and Padme choose well.

Solo wasn’t done, either. 

“You already know your Salary,” He grinned salaciously. “And let me just tell you, good for you two! You both do important, dangerous work, and I am glad some of you are going to be paid for it. Housing is set. New titles of Je-Yudai ready to replace your titles now, as well as keeping your Knight and Master titles, respectively,” Solo read over a few more lines before declaring, “I’ve outlined what wording to change, but you have final say. Here,”

He gave the document to Obi-Wan who read through the red-markings quickly and efficiently. Solo was right, a lot of the wording just needed changing, which could have been a mistake that Chancellor had made just as easily as Obi-Wan could have made them. Anakin read over his shoulder.

He starred the changes he wanted to be made before handing the document to Anakin, scoffing at seeing him so close.

True to form, Anakin wrinkled his nose but dutifully went through the pages as if it were homework.

Anakin had never liked homework, but he had always gotten good grades. Obi-Wan’s lips twitched as he watched his former-Padawan for a moment. When Anakin concentrated on something, he was a terror, and this contract stood no chance against him. 

“Tell me, Solo,” Obi-Wan began. Anakin not even flinching at the abrupt end of silence. “How did you become a lawyer?”

Always smiling, which kept Obi-Wan on edge, the man answered. “Family business. Well, mostly. It was mostly the women in my family that went into law. The men usually went into the Military. I choose differently, as you can see, but still, within the direction, my parents had planned,”

“Fascinating,” Obi-Wan admitted. “Is that how most choose their profession?”

“If you were anyone else, I would ask if you were joking, but you are Jedi,” He corrected himself quickly. “Former-Jedi, sorry. So you probably don’t understand such things as lineage and following your parents down the path they know. The safe path,”

“Not so different,” Anakin said, speaking up from his paper. 

“No?” 

Anakin nodded, placing the document on the counter in front of him. Done. “The Jedi have a sort of... lineage. Master to Padawan, tracing back as far as Jedi have been around. My Master was Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan’s Master was Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon Jinn was trained by Count Dooku. Who was trained by Yoda,” He smiled. “And no one exactly knows who Yoda’s Master was,”

“Nor would he answer if asked,” Obi-Wan snorted. “Probably the best-kept secret in the Jedi,”

“Well then,” Solo said, wide-eyed. “I had no idea... we rarely hear anything about the Jedi except status reports on how the war is going. And before the war, even less than that,”

Obi-Wan wasn’t particularly shocked, but it did make him pause. The Jedi were not secluded monks, for all they traveled, but it seemed everyone else considered them so. Secluded, emotionless people who hide away from the world until they were needed. It was tiring. Obi-Wan would not miss that. Whatever people’s perceptions of them, it could do with a little shaking up.

“The Jedi, for the most part, don’t try to hide who we are. It’s just effortless to lose oneself in the Force,” Obi-Wan tried to explain, feeling suddenly defensive and not knowing why. “Though I will admit in these past few years we have done a piss-poor job of doing any outreach not attached to the War,”

“It’s one of the reasons why I said yes to you so quickly when you said you were leaving the Order,” Anakin informed him. Solo stared as if surprised that it had been Obi-Wan to suggest their leaving, not Anakin. Everyone knew Anakin was the impulsive one, if they had only looked closer they would have realized the only one able to make Obi-wan leave was Obi-Wan himself.

Sharply looking at him, Obi-Wan wordlessly prompted him. 

Anakin sighed but didn’t begin immediately. He chewed on his answer. Solo perked up while trying to look like he wasn’t perking up. The man was a smart one, as he waited for Anakin to reveal far more than just about anyone on the planet or galaxy knew, he even crossed his legs and leaned back.

“The Jedi, when I was a child, were protectors,” Anakin began to talk. “I remember the stories that we were told as children. Of the Jedi protecting people. When you and Qui-Gon freed me, I naively thought that with the Jedi behind me, when I was old enough, we would have the chance to right all the galaxies wrongs,”

_ Oh Anakin, _ Obi-Wan’s heart clenched. It was a child-dream, to fix the whole world, but one that he had often shared with his master when he’d been younger. Anakin had been such a precocious child, quick to defend and quicker to protect. He still remembered when he’d greeted him. Telling him proudly that he was a  _ person _ . At the time, it hadn’t broken his heart, but years later he remembered. Anakin had had to assert he was a person because everyone in his life except his mother had told him he wasn’t. He had been property. And Anakin had found that despicable. Over the years, that dream had seemed to fade into the background as their duties had overwhelmed them.

Anakin ignored his melancholy in, the Force.

“But then the Jedi began to obey the Senate more and more. We were unable to help the planets that truly needed us. The war began.” Anakin’s mouth pulled into a frown. “It seemed the more we were needed the less we truly helped,”

“You did say yes rather quickly,” Obi-Wan teased.

The younger man chuckled. “Well, there were many reasons to leave the Order, Obi-Wan,” Anakin smiled with a wink. “You just managed to catch me when I was particularly pissed at them,”

“Anakin was almost always pissed at them,” Obi-Wan revealed to their guest.

Solo looked like Holiday had come early. Obi-Wan was acutely aware of all they were revealing, but he thought the lawyer deserved some good gossip. Consider it a bonus for the quick meeting time and even quicker turn around on their contract.

His former-padawan huffed. “Oh like you weren’t,”

Obi-Wan sipping his tea before answering. “Bit counterproductive to be angry at yourself,”

From there, they played their hands a little closer to their chest, but Solo was already beaming. Obi-Wan knew he’d given him some incredible political fuel and wondered how the man was going to use it. He didn’t seem a simpleton, so Obi-Wan was quite looking forward to what was to come.

“Well, then,” Solo announced, closing their contract. “I believe we are done here.”

They all rose. Shaking hands, thanking Solo for his time and his discretion.

It really shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the shortest meeting they’d had in days was with a lawyer. 

Huh. Go figure.

* * *

Obi-Wan followed Anakin out to see him frowning thoughtfully at his comm. device.

“Anything to share?”

“Hmmm?” Anakin looked to him with furrowed brow. “Oh! No, not really. Ahsoka has been texting me and telling me she’s currently Temple-bound while we are on leave. I can come to her, but she’s been told not to leave without a ‘Master’s’ permission.” He scoffed.

It was just like the Jedi - allow a teenager to go fight a war but restrict them to asking for permission to do something planetside. And during their downtime, too!

“That’s what we thought might happen,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Ahsoka did make her choice to continue with the path of the Jedi...”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it... also, Padme asked if we would pick something up for her?”

Obi-Wan raised a brow before looking over his shoulder to see the message. It was short and to the point with cutsy hugs and kisses ending line of ‘x’s and ‘o’s. Padme only wanted them to pick up some supplies she had ordered a week or so ago. She apologized for asking, stating that Sabé and Cordé were the only handmaidens that were planetside with her, and both were stupidly busy. And being a Senator, she would be just as stupidly busy.

“I don’t see why not,” Obi-Wan agreed easily. “We’re in the area, after all,”

Anakin beamed. Off they went, chatting as they walked.

It was a lovely day. The sun bright in the sky and nearly cloudless, the hustle and bustle of the city was loud since it was lunchtime, but not overbearingly so. As they walked, they were treated to the usual double-takes as people recognized them, the hush falling over crowds of people and the whispers that spouted out of silence as they passed.

Stranger still, people actually  _ approached  _ them. Not just hung back to watch them pass by like wraiths.

Worse, people actually started to  **talk** to them.

“Congrats!” One woman said, with a baby on her hip. “Glad to see Jedi can think for themselves!”

Obi-Wan only had a chance to blink and reply with a dry, “Thanks,” before she was already off. 

“Well, that’s... new?” Anakin said, blinking.

They continued walking, but it was not the last time.

Another, this time male, this time a Besalisk, simply grabbed him up in a hug before running off; leaving a dazzled Obi-Wan smoothing his tunic. Anakin watched, baffled, and praying he wasn’t next for a physical assault.

Many many children came up by themselves, their parents hanging back with amused smiles. The kids had things for them to sign, enough that Obi-Wan honestly started forgetting their names and faces and his hand had begun to cramp. 

They were all sweet about it too, blushing and stuttering and shyly asking for pictures. For signatures. 

Anything from their heroes.

Neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan minded, though it was uncomfortable.

There were a few others too, that stopped them with soft touches on their elbows before they shared a few words of congratulations for leaving the Order. 

_Oh, how_ ** _brave_** they were. _Oh, how beautiful they were._ _How_ smart. 

The list went on and on.

Anakin was not so lucky to just be congratulated. No. Some of the more... bold and brash, took it upon themselves to suss out if he was ‘seeing anyone’ since he could now do so. Which, well, wasn’t that baffling? The Jedi had never been forbidden from relationships, sexual or political. It was the attachment that made things messy. These people just seemed to hear one thing and one thing only:

Target.

Which usually just meant they cornered him to a wall and turned up the ‘charm’. Giggling inanely and sputtering nonsense about how amazing of a  _ hero _ he was, and how  _ strong _ , and how they’d love to show him a  _ good time _ now that he was away from the Jedi and their weird rules about sex, and - well, the list went on and on and on.

Obi-Wan had to save him a few times by simply pulling him away and glaring at the girls (women, men, creatures, beings). Which got him a few glares, hisses, and on one memorable occasion a swipe from an actual clawed hand. It was becoming ridiculous.

It had only been twenty minutes, but both of the ex-Jedi felt like they’d just come fresh off the battlefield.

**_:Force, not more!_ ** : Anakin groaned as they turned down another street, only to see people literally perking up. As if they smelled blood in the water.

**_:This is getting out of hand...:_ ** Obi-Wan balked, with narrowed eyes.

**_:Obi-Wan...:_ ** Anakin said, with all the patience of a saint.  **_:It was out of hand when the_ ** _ first  _ **_one sniffed me!:_ **

It wasn’t funny. It really really wasn’t, but Obi-Wan couldn’t hold in the chuckle that left his mouth, even as they ducked into an alley to escape their newest fans. As they waited in the shadows, Anakin thunked his head back against the wall. Obi-Wan was still far too amused.

**_:How is this our life, Anakin?:_ **

Anakin huffed at him.  **_:I don’t know... but, are we in agreement that we’re never doing household chores without disguise ever, ever again?:_ **

**_:Oh,:_ ** Obi-Wan said, just as one of their newest stalkers found them.  **_:We are probably always in agreement on that front.:_ **

Someone was at the front of the alley. Pointing in.

**_:I believe that’s our signal,:_ **

Spring the trap or run.

Obi-Wan was not ready to deal with this particular trap any longer than necessary.

* * *

“Let me get this straight,” Padme said, not keeping a straight face at all. “I asked if you guys would pick up my dry cleaning and you got mobbed. Anakin got mauled, multiple times if I’m not mistaken,” She was not. “And you... you both ended up scaling a building?”

“It was the only way to escape them,” Obi-Wan defended holding an ice-pack to his head. A human with fantastic aim had gotten him as they had scaled the fire-escape with a heart-shaped chocolate. A heart-shaped chocolate that weighed almost a pound. Hopefully it had been a mistake and only meant as a present rather than a dangerous projectile, but still, it had been launched, and he had been hit.

“Ugh,” Anakin shivered, arms crossed and curled up on the couch. “They were like sharkpusses!”

Padme tried to hold back her laughter, really, she did, but like Obi-Wan had just a few minutes before - she didn’t succeed. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan glared at her, but it was severely hampered by just how exhausted they were. Running from crazed fans hadn’t even been a problem before, but apparently, without the Jedi moniker, it was open season. 

“I’m sorry!” Padme finally apologized. “It’s just - I can just imagine the look on your faces when all those people mobbed you both!”

“You’re cruel,” Anakin pouted.

That just made Padme laugh harder. And well. Perhaps in a few hours, Anakin would be able to see the humor in the situation with her. For now, it was enough that Padme was laughing at their misfortune like her birthday had come early. 

Afterwards, Obi-Wan and Anakin vowed they were only going out at night, in disguise, or by transport only.

Padme just cackled in the background. 

* * *

Obi-Wan knew it was a matter of time. Jedi were admonished for attachments, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have friends. Especially Jedi friends. And Obi-Wan’s friends were some of the best Jedi around. So it’s not a surprise when his comm rang with a specific frequency he knew and loved while Padme had finally finished laughing at their misfortune.

_ [“You absolute asshole,”] _ Is the first thing Bant shouts at him over the comm.  _ [“I just lost a hundred credits!”] _

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a baffled look before the elder offered up a timid, “Sorry?”

_ [“You better be sorry. Geesh, couldn’t you just be the fucking model Jedi we all know and love? Ugh,”]  _

“I’m sure I have no clue what you are talking about,” Obi-Wan said, offended. He was also a little confused. He was often confused these days though, so that mattered little. Not to mention he might have a little concussion from the chocolate.

_ [“We had a pool going on who’d get fed up with the Council bullshit first. I had my money on Voss!”] _

Anakin’s eyes lit up in remembrance.“Oh! I bet on Mace,”

Seeing Padme and Obi-Wan looking at him funny, Anakin blinked as Obi-Wan pushed forward an emotion akin to mourning.  _ Oh. Right. Mace was dead. _ He flushed and cast his eyes downward.

“Oh, right... uh, may he - you know - may he be at peace in the Force.” Even he winced at how insincere it sounded and quickly added. “Does it make it better that I also bet on Plo?”

No. No, it did not.

Obi-Wan slowly turned to his former padawan with a baffled eye twitch. Anakin snorted. “It was thousand-to-one odd’s, Master. Not even YOUR odds were that good.”

“What was mine?”

“Hundred-fifty-to-one.”

“I’m offended,” 

And he was.

Anakin laughed and needled him. “You should be. Even  **I’m** at three-hundred-to-one,” 

Curious, and enjoying the good mood Obi-Wan prompted. “What were Yoda’s odds?”

Anakin turned away, flushing, and busied himself. “Million to one. But that’d be stupid. Not even I would take a million to one odds against Yoda on  **anything** ,”.

[“Yes. Yes. Everyone’s odds are  **_great_ ** ! Can we get back to how pissed I am at you?”] Bant’s voice sizzled over the comm unit. [“How could you just skip out and say  _ nothing _ !”]

Obi-Wan sighed. “I didn’t say ‘nothing’. I said quite a lot actually,” He defended himself. “Just to the Council. And the Chancellor. And Padawan’s Caleb and Barriss along with Luminara,”

There was silence. Anakin winced, already seeing Obi-Wan’s folly.

_ [“Luminara knew before me?”]  _ Bant cried.  _ [“That just makes it worse!”] _

_ Oh damn. _ Obi-Wan realized his mistake too late and spent the next few minutes listening to Bant rant. It progressively got more aggressive as it went on. Anakin even winced as she shouted the last sentence:

_ [“AND FURTHERMORE, Obi-Wan I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell any of us you were thinking of leaving!”] _

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said, for the umpteenth time. “But things had to change. Something had to change,”

_ [“That’s why you stick around and change things from  _ **_within_ ** _ ,”] _ Bant huffed. Then sobered up.  _ [“Honestly, Obi-Wan I don’t understand you. We are  _ **_Jedi_ ** _.:  _

Any other day and that might have had some effect. That all-consuming feeling of family, of belonging. Except there was none of that. Not now. As it was, Obi-wan only flinched.

_ :You should have discussed it with us rather than just running off with your former-Padawan,”] _

“And I am sorry I hurt you like this, but Bant,” And Obi-Wan was firm. He was. “I follow the Force, and this was my choice as much as the Force was leading me to do so,”

That shut Bant up. Then a sniffle. 

_ [“Damnit, Obi-Wan...” _ ] She sighed.  _ [“I understand. None of us like it, but I understand. You will always be my friend, Obi-Wan, and that will never change. No matter much much you piss me off,”] _

Then, before she signed off with a click, she said.  _ [“You still should have told someone before you up and left,”] _

Obi-Wan told himself he wasn’t feeling guilty. He wasn’t.

Anakin placed a bracing hand against his shoulder.

“It was the right choice,” he said.

And it was.

It had to be.

... So why was it so hard to see the forest for the trees?

* * *

After Obi-Wan’s ears stopped ringing from Bants tongue-lashing, they received another comm. Call from the Chancellor's office. It was the sweet aid that sat in as his secretary that informed them that the contract had been received from Lawyer Solo’s office and that the Chancellor had accepted their changes with none to make on his own.

Anakin and Obi-Wan had stared at the comm. After they had hung up in stupefied silence.

“That’s it?” Anakin asked, blinking.

“It’s done,”

After meeting after meeting and debate after debate, it hardly felt like it was over. War wasn’t over. Battles they’d yet to fight weren’t over. Yet... this was. 

“Je-Yudai Agent Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Obi-Wan said, for the first time aloud.

Anakin quirked a brow before smiling. That smile lit up his own face. 

“You try it,” Obi-Wan urged.

Anakin complied. 

“Je-Yudai Agent Anakin Skywalker,”

It tasted awkward on his tongue. Wrong, because he was Jedi, not Je-Yudai. But right; because he wasn’t Jedi anymore. It was different. It was... good. Sharing amusement in the Force, it changed swiftly to something a little more bittersweet.

Obi-Wan was staring at his comm. unit, his force presence a swirling, roiling sadness.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” Obi-Wan mused, looking up to Anakin then. “I know... what we’ve done. What we’ve decided. But it was never supposed to go this way,”

Anakin gently reminded. “Neither was the war, Obi-Wan,” 

“No, I suppose not,” Obi-Wan conceded. “Yet, it doesn’t change how I feel,”

“If it did, you probably wouldn’t be human,” Anakin said, amused despite himself.

Obi-Wan sighed again, like the world was on his shoulders once again, before nodding. “Back to Padme’s?”

Anakin nodded excitedly. “Of course!”

As they walked towards the speeder, a thought came to Obi-Wan. “You know, Anakin, we’re going to have to move out eventually. It will look bizarre if we don’t move into our new ‘house’,”

The younger man flushed. “Well, yes, we’ll have to - but can it wait for your return from Kamino?”

Obi-Wan understood immediately. Anakin didn’t like being alone. He didn’t do well with it. Hadn’t since he was a Padawan and Obi-Wan had had to go on missions alone, and he’d come back to Anakin throwing himself bodily into his lap. At the time, he had gently soothed the child, while trying to give him the tools to deal with his loneliness whenever Obi-Wan was gone. 

They’d never quite gotten the hang of it. As a Knight, Anakin would still visit as often as the war had allowed. Their joint missions had settled him after a time. And though it had rankled the Council, their work spoke for itself. 

“It can wait for my return,” He agreed, smiling at him, in reassurance. “I wouldn’t want to leave you alone in that  **big** house,”

“Oh come off it,” Anakin shoved him. “It’s not  _ that _ big,”

“How many rooms did it have in it again?” Obi-Wan teased as they got into the speeder.

Anakin squawked as he tried to defend their new home, but both of them were well aware of how ridiculous their new residence was. Five rooms... who needed that many?

They spent the ride back to Padme’s arguing about it.


	11. We Learned How to Get Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Obi-Wan looks back, Anakin is being Anakin, and they meet a new friend.  
> (Involving copious amounts of drinking)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!  
> So this is the last chapter I have completely written. The rest is in bits, pieces, and (*gasp*) outlined. Which means I may not update every two weeks like I have been (a miracle already I assure you).  
> This chapter contains the second scene I wrote for this story. Ever. Like, basically, I wrote the first chapter, then immediately after that this part which is the second half of this chapter. So if that gives you any inkling or inclination of how I write... Yikes. I think we're probably going to come out at around 30 chapters but I have no clue also. Could be more, could be less. Probably not though.  
> So much to do, so much to do!  
> As always - Thanks to my beta readers: Crossover_Addict & picavenger14! They've helped out a bunch!

Obi-Wan growled at the missive in his hand. 

_ General Kenobi, _

_ Please be aware that departure of the Venator-class Star Destroyer, The Negotiator, has been postponed due to formalities that the Jedi Council wishes to clarify. Lift-off will happen at 0800 hours tomorrow.  _

_ Pleasant day, General.  _

_ -Cody _

_ For fuck's sake,  _ Obi-Wan wanted to snarl, but he didn’t. He just took a deep breath, and let it all go into the Force. Ugh, talk about bureaucrats. Politicians. Worse, Order Politicians. He had never been on the opposite side of the Council before in anything (Jedi were united in all things), but he had known from first-hand experience what a formidable opponent they made. The Council were no slouches, made up of intelligent well read beings.

Once Obi-Wan had been such a being. 

“Problem?” Anakin asked, at the table, leaning back in his chair carelessly. He was bored with Padme at work and Obi-Wan reading and keeping up with the news; nobody was paying attention to him.

“Departure has been delayed... again.”

Anakin immediately sat up straight, front feet of the chair falling with a clatter. 

“For kark’s sake,” He growled. “What was it this time?”

“‘Formalities,’” Obi-Wan was sure to add the spoken air quotes. “Which just means the Council is being a bunch of politicians,”

Anakin winced. That was quite an insult from Obi-Wan. 

“So then... what’s the plan?”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, deciding. They had close to eighteen hours until he was leaving. A lot could happen within those few hours. A flash of an idea came to him, but he contemplated a while longer before he turned to Anakin. 

“Let’s go,” Obi-Wan said, throwing down the datapad onto the counter as he rose.

Anakin scrambled to his feet to follow. They walked to the hallway before Anakin got his wits about him to ask where they were going. It was, so very reminiscent of how they’d left the Jedi Order. He would not do the same to Padme.

It was never a good thing when Obi-Wan smiled, all toothy grin, and loudly proclaimed, “Lower-levels.”

Even as a Padawan Anakin knew what that meant.

He groaned, slapping a hand to his face. “Is now really a time to drink ourselves stupid?”

Obi-Wan didn’t respond, other than to send him a kind of fathomless chasm within himself, a cold like presence through their bond. It was anger and frustration coiled together. Anakin drew in a heavy breath.

_ Ah. So it was one of those days, _

“Loud and clear, Obi-Wan,” Anakin sighed. “Lead the way.”

* * *

The bar that Obi-Wan choose this afternoon told Anakin everything about his current mindset.

_ The Library _ was a bar that shared nothing but title with its namesake. It was a midlevel place, not quite scummy, but also not high-end the like that Senators frequented. It was clean, it served reasonably priced alcohol, and wasn’t a drug den.

Which, in turn, meant that Obi-Wan wanted to drink, probably get as wasted as he was able, before going home to sleep it off. Had it been a scummy bar, Anakin would have worried that they wouldn’t leave without at least one fight. Obi-Wan, for all his talk of negotiation, really did like to just kick ass and take names. High-end bar and he knew they weren’t going to actually drink, just mess with a few Senators and their aids. This was a middle ground kind of night.

If Obi-Wan picked a fight, Anakin wouldn’t be surprised. On the flipside, if he  **didn’t** pick a fight; Anakin was ready to enjoy a night of simple pleasures.

The bar was at about medium capacity, mostly at the booths and tables, with a few patrons of all shapes and sizes at the bar chatting away. Nobody immediately noticed them, since they weren’t wearing Jedi robes, but more civilian attire. That being said, once one person noticed them - it was hard to stop the sudden rippling silence.

Obi-Wan ignored it, as usual, aloof, and gently lowered himself to the bar stool. As Anakin joined him, the bar began to liven up. The elder ordered them both a shot of Alderaanian brandy.

**_:Starting the afternoon right, hmm:_ ** Anakin questioned with a smile, yet not looking at Obi-Wan.  

**_:Only the best for us,:_ ** Obi-Wan chuckled. : **_Not like we can’t afford it now,_ ** :

Their drinks arrived. Cheering, they knocked back. The liquor burned smooth and warm, heating up their throats and signaling their stomachs to what was about to happen. Obi-Wan lifted his fingers for two more. 

The sleepiness of the bar slowly awoke, the silence opening to include whispers, small sputtering of chatter. The Je-Yudai ignored it, in favor of sitting with their thoughts, swapping, every few seconds, pokes and prods of the Force. To everyone else, they looked like silent, emotionless statues, but they were anything but.

Their shots came. Then went. And two more were forthcoming.

As the alcohol started to begin affecting them, Anakin chuckled at a particularly funny story he was overhearing behind him.

It didn’t take long for someone to man up and come over to confront them. 

“You’re Jedi, right?” Anakin turned to his left, looking over Obi-Wan’s head, to see a slight human woman wearing very little. She was leaning against the bar, all lithe lines, and dirty smirk - but there was a genuine curiosity in her eyes. “I mean, I know that, but... you guys are the Jedi who left? The Hero with No Fear and the Negotiator?”

“That didn’t take long,” Obi-Wan muttered under his breath.

The human laughed. “With how famous you two are? With that kind of gossip? It’s all anyone can talk about!”

“Great,” Anakin complained. “Just why we did it. For the  _ notoriety _ ,”

She tapped the bar, ordering a drink before she looked the two of them over.

“You know, I’m all for bucking the system. I’m on your side in this. Hell, probably half the galaxy is.” And she winked as the bartender brought her drink. Sitting down next to them, she briskly informed the Anaconda behind the counter, “Round for the heroes, too, huh?”

Obi-Wan lifted his glass in thanks. Anakin echoing the movement. They chatted with the woman for a few moments longer, before their drinks arrived and then she smirked and trotted off. 

**_:At least we have support,:_ ** Anakin thought to Obi-Wan.

**_:Congratulations,:_ ** Obi-Wan retorted dryly. **_:Bar patrons support our ongoing struggles,:_ **

It wasn’t long after that that their neighbor to the right chimed in. 

“You two leaving that Jedi Order of yours was the best thing that’s happened all year,”

Anakin and Obi-Wan blinked, both looking to their right to see a somewhat drunk, sullen man glaring at them. Or, well perhaps not glaring. The man didn’t look so much pissed as thoughtfully angry.

“Pardon me?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Ya heard me,” The man said, taking another swig of his drink. “Who the kark thought it was a good idea to get Jedi involved in this war, anyway? May not know much about you Jedi, but even I know  _ that _ . Your people were supposed to be  _ peacekeepers _ ,”

_ Well... that was curious _ . Obi-Wan raised a brow but turned more fully to the man. “And you think we should have kept our noses out of the fighting?”

“Yes,” The man stated, baldly. 

It was... refreshing. That level of honesty. Like a clean ocean breeze that cut through the deception.

“What’s your name, ser?” Anakin asked, curious about the belligerent stranger, peeking around Obi-Wan shoulder.

“Names Jameris Hartd,” He said, saluting with his cup. “Admiral in the Republic Grand Army,”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead, but he lifted his cup. “An admiral? A wonder we’ve never seen battle together...”

Jameris snorted.

“Not for lack of trying,” He stated, staring sullenly at the wall. “I’ve been posted in the inner worlds. Stationed at my homeworld Ziost, with my clones and my ships.”

“So it’s been awhile since you’ve seen battle?” Anakin asked, sarcastically, taking a sip of his drink as he turned away. Being an Admiral was no easy thing, sure it had been easier before the war had begun, but it was still a position of power. Not easily bought and paid for, either.

“Oh, and it makes it better that you’ve seen more battle than half the Admirals in the fleet?” Jameris demanded, harshly.

Obi-Wan sighed. “We’re just doing our duty - “

“No, the Jedi’s duty was fucking peacekeeping,” Jameris snarled, slamming his cup down. “You were taught in peace, and you preach peace, but then with just one fucking word from  **your Council** suddenly you’re fucking capable of commanding legions and battling hoards. Suddenly, we’re supposed to trust our lives,  _ our world _ , our galaxy into the hands of rank amateurs with no formal training in strategy or unit tactics which can tear people to pieces with just a word or command,”

The man ranted, drawing a crowd. He wasn’t half near done.

“Suddenly, we’re supposed to trust that the Jedi, karking peacekeepers mind you, should be allowed to wield their glowing light-sticks of death in one hand and their fucking peace-talks in the other. And why? Because their fucking Council says so? Pft,” He snorted. “And what about those who joined the Separatist cause because they saw this outcome coming? Huh? What about those people who saw the Jedi gaining power - politically and militarily - and realized just how fucking much power the Senate was handling you, Force-Sensitive people?”

As he wound down, staring into his drink, the bar was silent. The music had been turned off sometime during the rant, somewhere between when he’d demanded answers for why their Council was the be-all for the Jedi and sympathizing with the Separatists.

Anakin and Obi-Wan could only sit, staring in shock at the man. It wasn’t that they had nothing to say that stayed their tongues - it was what they were going to say. If one of them opened their mouths, they knew what would come out.

Because they agreed. The Jedi... the Jedi should never have joined the conflict. No matter that the Clones were loyal to them ( _ Forced _ , the Force whispered.  _ Gifted. Born. _ ). No question that at the time, when it all began, it had seemed the right thing to do. The... Jedi thing to do.

Still, hard ingrained in them was the defense of the Order, to not show weakness, to stay strong and to stay together. Unity in the face of adversity. Together they stand, divided they fall.

Except that was the problem, wasn’t it?

Too many people were willing to take the easy way out. To follow the crowd. To make the looks-like-the-right-choice instead of the right choice. The easy decision rather than the right choice.

Which is why Obi-Wan said, “I agree,”

And Anakin chimed in, chin jutted out angry and jaw clenched. “ _ We _ agree,”

Now it was Jameris’ turn to stare at them. Mouth dropped, eyes open wide, but only for a moment. He was of a high ranking title, and he gathered himself together admirably well. Blinking, he shut his mouth and straightened up.

“... It’s why ya left, isn’t it?”

“There are many reasons we left,” Obi-Wan hedged, staring at the line of alcohol on the shelves in front of them. “Disagreeing with the Council and its plots and plans... was the main disagreement,”

“... Then I apologize,” Admiral Jameris said, tapping his fingers to call for another round. “You did not deserve my... outburst,”

Anakin was the one who laughed. A harsh sound, more of a bark, but it was still amused. “Don’t take it back now. I was  _ just  _ beginning to like you,”

There were some snickers behind him at that comment.

“And we already agreed with you,” Obi-Wan tacked on. “There is no need to apologize for speaking the truth. Once...” 

Obi-Wan trailed off.

Anakin picking up for him. “ _ Once _ the Jedi would have been voicing what you just did. Speaking out against the war vocally, not being seen to be complicit even though we’re just trying our best to keep the Galaxy afloat... But they haven’t.  _ We  _ haven’t. So it’s up to whoever is available to speak the truth and to speak it loudly,” He mused, afterward with a smile. “Besides, we should probably be thanking you. I haven’t been dressed down like that since...” 

He blushed. Obi-Wan knew precisely what he was going to reference. 

“Since after Genoisis?” Obi-Wan prompted. 

The Admiral perked up, always ready to hear war stories. “Genoisis, huh?” 

And that was the thing with the military, Obi-Wan realized, as Anakin began telling their new friend all about the start of the war, about how they’d been tied up, and outlining their fates - soldiers knew soldiers. Warriors knew warriors. Battle was battle, and it created a kinship between all who shared in the unfortunate fate of crossing blades with another.

It was like talking to an old friend. 

An old friend that liked to greet you with a punch to the face first and a hug right afterward.

* * *

 

They stayed and chatted with the Admiral for another few hours, keeping pleasantly buzzed and not overdoing it. But then the Admiral bid them goodnight, for it was now night time, the waning light and budding darkness outside the bar telling Anakin and Obi-Wan both that they should head back, except that wasn’t to be.

Obi-Wan didn’t want to. Leave that is. Anakin could tell. And it, of course, began again with shots.

Anakin declined the next round the Anaconda placed in front of them. Obi-Wan didn’t and gave Anakin a ‘more for me’ smirk as he grabbed both glasses.

The younger ex-Jedi shook his head in amusement. Not yet worried. Obi-Wan could hold his liquor better than weequay pirates.

Then Obi-Wan ordered another round. And another.

Jedi, as a rule, were pretty hard to get drunk. They had a higher tolerance, mostly from drinking with their Master’s, and were taught techniques to cleans their bloodstream, which was not limited to just sobering themselves up. 

So Anakin was properly bamboozled to watch Obi-Wan  **actually** get drunk.

Tipsy. Woozy. Smiling brightly, too brightly. Leaning into Anakin, but putting far too much weight behind the action. 

Still, it’s not until Obi-Wan is babbling to a creature beside him about lightsabers (The creature entranced, because, hello? Nobody just chatted with a  _ Jedi _ .), and leaning over too far on the counter that Anakin realizes enough is enough.

“We should go, Obi-Wan,”

His master turns to him with bright eyes, but a slow and sloppy smile. 

“Now, dearest?”

_ Oh, that wasn’t good.  _ Obi-Wan was bringing out the big guns. His puppy-dog eyes, his drawling accent. It was entirely not fair, and Anakin resolutely ignored the part of him that puffed up in pleasure at the name.

“Yes,  _ dearest _ ,” He mocked right back, hoping his Master didn’t notice the flush to his face. He proceeded to hoist Obi-Wan off his stool with a hand under his arm. 

Obi-Wan went compliantly. 

Anakin didn’t want to deal with the tab at the moment, so he just Force-fully suggested where to send the bill. It saved time, and there was no unnecessary small talk. Time was what he needed, too, as Obi-Wan flopped uselessly against his shoulder.

“You know, Anakin, you looked god-awful with a braid. Why the hell does the Order insist on those stupid hairstyles?” Obi-Wan was mumbling into his ear. It was an old rant. He’d hated his Padawan hairstyle as much as the next human, but Obi-Wan had a special hatred of it. “I mean, I almost  _ wished  _ I had been bald, as a Padawan,”

“You would look horrible bald,” Anakin informed him as they made their way to their speeder. 

“.... You don’t know that,”

“Oh, I think I do,”

That was apparently a highly offensive thing to say.

“I would look  **dashing** bald,” Obi-Wan quipped, pulling back far enough to squint at him. “I would look - look _ so good _ bald,”

“Sure, Obi-Wan,” Anakin agreed as they reached the speeder. Then he lied through his teeth: “You’d look great bald,”

* * *

When they enter into Padme’s suite, that’s when the night goes from slightly-amusing-and-kind-of-headache-inducing to a pity party that rivals even the separatists own moaning and bitching.

Anakin’s not sure what triggered it. One moment he was trying to get Obi-Wan to sit on the couch while he got him a glass of water. Then the next he’d been dragged down next to his Master, said Master was crying into his neck, and the Force surrounding them was saturated with sadness.

“It’s all my fault,” 

_ Kark. _ They needed more alcohol if this was  **indeed** the conversation they were about to have.

“What’s your fault, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked, softly, while subtly flicking open a cabinet and taking out some of the alcohol he stashed here. Two cups followed the floating bottle until they landed on the table in front of them. A gross misuse of the force, but as if this whole night wasn’t just one big misuse of the Force.

Obi-wan had a hand running through his hair soothingly, his eyes attached to the wall across from them. Unseeing. Lost. With a sigh, Anakin waited, pouring out two measures of alcohol into the glasses. As he waited, he drank deeply. He refilled it once before Obi-Wan decided to talk.

“All of this,” Obi-Wan finally answered, waving his hand vaguely around his head. “It’s all my fault. Us leaving the Order. Not standing up for us  **in** the Order. Finding Kamino,” 

“Seems like the will of the Force to me,” Anakin said, but Obi-Wan was having none of it. Like he hadn’t heard him, he continued.

“Kark,” Obi-Wan said, sliding a hand through his hair again. “It’s all my fault. Our entire predicament. Force, Anakin, we really jumped into it - didn’t we? Of course, we did. Don’t answer that. I know the answer already. You know the answer already,”

His hands were shaking.

“Obi-Wan - “

And that’s when the night went from bad to worse. Without much further explanation or words spoken, Obi-Wan threw himself into Anakin’s arms. His master was always better at casual displays of affection than Anakin, but this stunk of desperation. It was a side effect of being raised in a loving, safe environment rather than as a slave. Still, drunk Obi-Wan was an entirely different beast.

“Oh dear,” Anakin huffed. This was a little much for him... he needed reinforcements. He decided quickly before reaching out to Padme with the Force. He felt her warm light and pushed at it a little. He rarely tried to contact her this way because even though she wasn’t null - she wasn’t the most Force-sensitive.

A curiousness suffused her presence. 

Within seconds she was in the room with them.

“Anakin? What’s - Oh.”

Padme was staring at them both. Seeing the usually stoic and so-in-control Jedi Master sobbing into Anakin’s tunic was... well, planet-shattering. It was like the rose-colored glasses had been whipped off her face rather brutally. Anakin, who had already dealt with Obi-Wan like this, barely blinked - he just needed the help. The extra support. It wasn’t like he could call on any of the other Jedi, after all.

Not so soon after turning away from them all, anyways.

“It’s going to be alright, Obi-Wan. Just... just another big change in our lives. Nothing we can’t handle, right?”

He just sniffled rather brokenly, making Anakin’s heart clench.

Padme sighed, realizing that what she assumed was going to be a quiet night was anything but. Rolling up her sleeves of her nightgown, she settled into the couch on the other side of Obi-Wan. As Obi-Wan stared over the furniture into the distance, Anakin and Padme shared a single look.

This was going to suck.

Especially as Obi-Wan started crying. Again.

 

* * *

They were now one more bottle and two hours into a very tiring therapy session that nobody had been ready for. It only took three days, honestly much longer than Anakin assumed it was going to take, but here they were.

“I can’t believe we left the Order,” Obi-Wan said into his liquor, staring at the shimmering, amber liquid with slightly damp, red-rimmed eyes. He’d stopped crying about ten minutes ago, but Anakin wasn’t holding out hope that those were the last tears of the night. He and Padme shared a look before Padme’s sharp gaze, her eyes flitting between them both, explicitly told him: ‘I took the last outburst, it’s your turn.’

With a sigh, Anakin took on the duty of comforting his Master. 

“It’ll be alright, master,”

Obi-Wan looked at him, sniffling.

“But - we left the Order. All we’ve ever known. And what for? Huh? What for!? And to make matters worse - as if they could get any worse - I managed to drag you down with me!”

Anakin winced at the volume as Obi-Wan took a gulp of burning liquid. Maybe they should have cut him off a bottle ago... too late now, he supposed, but still. Anakin wasn’t getting between Obi-Wan and the glass in his hand. He’d had his chance, and it had passed. They’d just have to cut him off after this. He’d already managed to shove two glasses of water into his hands, too, but that didn’t mean squat.

“I left of my own free will, Obi-Wan,” Anakin reminded him.

Obi-Wan huffed, dry red eyes turning to him. “And what about your dreams of being a master? Of ending this war as a Jedi? Huh?”

Anakin sighed. “If you’ll also remember, I often dream about death and the freeing of the slaves of Tatooine - I can handle a little disappointment to follow the Force, Master,”

That shut Obi-Wan up for a moment. His jaw clicking shut as he stared at Anakin before his gaze went a little unfocused and he had his head in his hands the next second. Padme patted his shoulder, offering up her silent, easy support.

“Maybe this time... maybe this it will actually stick,”

Anakin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve left the Order before, long ago, while I was still a Padawan,” Obi-Wan admitted, his head still cradled in his hands. Anakin stared at him. That was... well, that was a bombshell. He shared a wide-open, shocked look with his wife. “It wasn’t for long... but there was a world suffering, and I could help them,”

Anakin’s world shrunk and shattered in equal measure. It was like he was looking at a stranger. Obi-Wan had once left the Order? Why? For how long? What the kark?

“Master -” Obi-Wan looked up at him, and his eyes were too sad. Anakin couldn’t pursue this line of questioning, not right now. Obi-Wan needed to be calmed down. “Okay, let’s talk about that when you’re sober, huh?”

Obi-Wan nodded, distant.

“If you will remember, they haven’t treated us all that well.” Anakin cautioned. Again. Maybe this time it would stick. “You’re just confirming that you knew that from a young age...”

“No?”

“No, they didn’t. Remember they wanted to take advantage my feelings? Remember how they forced you to do things you didn’t want to do? Maybe forced is a strong word... manipulated? Is that a better word to use?” He looked to Padme, and she nodded, giving a tired smile. “Manipulated both of us?”

“And let’s not forget that this is the will of the Force,”

Obi-Wan was nodding slowly, eyes a little glassy.

_ Force, let that be a sign he’s about to pass out, _ Anakin prayed. They’d been at this for the past two hours, after all. It was becoming  **more** than exhausting. Padme, love of his life that she was, was a trooper; she hadn’t left either of their sides the entire time. And they’d gone over so many subjects... The clones, the war, the Council, the lady who had stopped Obi-Wan in the market the other day to tell him how brave he had been, the mob that had attacked them, their padawan, and more. The list went on.

“Obi-Wan I think it’s time for bed,” Anakin pushed lightly. The slightest hint of a suggestion.

It worried him how quickly Obi-Wan’s eyes fluttered, how susceptible he was. Yet, Obi-Wan nodded. 

Padme took that as her cue to finally leave, and just as she was rising, Obi-Wan sniffled again and then dropped a truth bomb.

“I knew you were both in a relationship from the beginning, you know?”

Both of them froze.

“I knew, the Code and all, forbidden attachments, but... but she was good for you,” Obi-Wan said, leaning forward, falling onto the table. Anakin knew then that he’d had too much, but was in too much shock to do more than carefully help him lean better onto the counter.

“... So you knew?” Padme blurted out.

“You have all glass walls in your office, Padme,” He said, dryly, if not slurring his words a little too much.

Anakin and Padme shared a look. His contrite. Her dull acceptance. Both ashamed they hadn’t been able to hide better.

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan,” Anakin apologized. “I should have told you  - “

“I would have told you what my Master told me,” Obi-Wan interrupted, turning only his head to look at Anakin, reached forward to drunkenly pat his shoulder. “If it's worth it, then it's worth it. And kark what the Council thinks.”

A startled nervous laugh left Anakin’s lips as he returned the handhold on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Both squeezing. It was another intimate moment shared between the two of them in as many weeks. 

“Master Qui-Gon was a character,”

Obi-Wan smiled drunkenly, smile waning as the tears came again.

“He was-as-sss!”

And then he burst out into another chorus of sobs.

_ Welp, there went the moment, _ Anakin thought fondly as he helped Obi-Wan up and into his bed. He walked with a pep to his step and a lightening of his heart. 

Obi-Wan had known the whole time... He remembered conversations where Obi-Wan had hinted, where Anakin had diverted attention. He recalled a time when he had wanted to tell Obi-Wan, but couldn’t summon the courage to go through with it. He remembered it all just mellowing into an understanding that he may never be able to tell Obi-Wan. At least, not without breaking his heart. 

Yet, here he was, knowing the whole time.

Shame washed over him - for so long he had been worried his Master would betray him, wouldn’t be on his side, and instead it was the other way around. He had been the one to betray Obi-Wan. It just cemented his resolution to be loyal to Obi-Wan till the very last, through thick and thin, battle and peace, and against all the odds. He owed it to him.

Where Obi-Wan went, Anakin willingly followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #letObi-WanNap2018  
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Back to Bother Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan sets off for Kamino. Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starwars freakin military man. STAR WARS FLIPPIN' MILITARY. I have discussed how the hell the Starwars fleet didn't just collapse in on themselves with their space-monk girlfriends- I'm sorry Generals. Like. HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK? The Jedi are like part of the military, a big part, but also completely separate from each other. ??? I have a chart of the Military and LET ME TELL YOU -  
> I just want sleep. Like. Too complex. Just let me put people on a ship and ship 'em off. Please.  
> As always thanks to my beta's! They keep me from writing the same thing over and over again. Or trying to pass off the 'natural' Force as the 'living' Force.

When Obi-Wan awoke the next morning, in his own bed, and with a raging headache - he groaned. 

The night before was bits and pieces of memory. Enough that he knew he had made a complete ass of himself to Anakin and Padme. At the bar, he’d been himself, up until the Admiral had left and he just felt the need to...  **drown** . 

He almost didn’t want to cure his headache, but he was shipping out with his troops to Kamino.

They needed him in tip-top shape.

With a careless gesture across his forehead, he wiped away the lingering aches. Blessed and blissful silence entered first. The heat went next. Then his mind was his own once again. Perhaps a little dehydrated, and that couldn’t be fixed in the Force, so he rose from his prone position.

There was a glass of water on the table next to him. 

Smiling, Obi-Wan sent out a tendril of thanks in the Force. Anakin latched on with a flood of relief.

**_:You’re awake!:_ **

**_:Thank you for the water, Anakin,:_ **

**_:It’s just now 0700,:_ ** Anakin responded, with a pleasant hum. **_:Would you like breakfast?:_ **

It was no surprise he did.

* * *

Padme watched Anakin perk up from where they sat at the table. With a wry smile, she realized that that was the sign she had been waiting for. Obi-Wan was awake. He would join them soon. Amused, she drank her tea as Anakin stared off into space.

If he was any more obvious about it, Padme would never be able to understand how the Jedi didn’t see their bond. Their attachment. Their very, very forbidden attachment.

Before she had known Anakin and Obi-Wan; before she had met a real-life Jedi at the age of fourteen - all she had to go on were stories. Stories of Jedi that were kind, but emotionless. That Jedi came for peace, to bring peace, but did not linger for parties, or celebrations that their peace talks brought. They stood apart, they stood as larger beings, as if they were not human but gods. To see a bond so strong, so full of emotion, reminded Padme that they were just human.

And sure enough, a few minutes later, Obi-Wan came out of his room. He was still in those Jedi robes of his, but they were somehow not wrinkled. Padme could only assume it was the Force at work.

He looked... better. Then again, anyone looked better not-drunk... And not sobbing into their laps.

“Tea?” She asked as he sat down with them.

He almost begged. “ _ Please _ ,”

Padme was worried, for a moment, that Obi-Wan was going to be like a skittish colt, unused to handling embarrassing situations and dealing with it much as Anakin would. But this wasn’t Anakin. This was Obi-Wan. And he dealt with last night as if it had never happened.

Yet... Padme was sure that if she brought it up, he would be able to talk about it. Flustered, perhaps, but capable.

Gracefully, she did not do any such thing.

Instead, she watched them enjoy each other’s company. They would be without him for the next two weeks, after all. They deserved their time together.

* * *

Leaving the planet was always a production. It took a few hours of prep, of moving people around, of loading the ship, of pre-flight checks, of checking the pre-flight checks, and many other odds and ends. So when Obi-Wan and Anakin arrived for the send-off, the Clones had been preparing for the past two hours.

“General!” Clones greeted left and right as Anakin and Obi-Wan walked through the hub of activity. 

“Sure you don’t want to come, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked, teasingly, as they stood on the highest point in the shipyard to oversee the  _ Negotiator’s  _ uploading.

“Oh yes, I would just  _ love _ to spend the next day or so, and the foreseeable future, running training drills,” Anakin drawled, watching the clones maneuver. “Let me get right on that,”

Obi-Wan snorted, before patting him on the shoulder. 

**_:I_** _am_ ** _aware of the true reason you aren’t coming,:_** Obi-Wan reminded him, more in feelings, and emotions than word-language.

**_:After last night, I would hope so,:_ ** Anakin said, not turning towards him.  **_:If I felt you were going straight into the krayt dragon den, then I would come,:_ **

**_:You don’t need to defend your actions, Anakin, this is certainly not a mission,:_ **

**_:Yes, but it will be our first official move as ‘Je-Yudai’,:_ ** Anakin snorted. **_:So, is it wisest to do it like this? To split up?:_ **

**_:We’ve done this before - :_ **

**_:But not like this,:_ **

Obi-Wan paused. They hadn’t discussed this. 

**_:And if I said I needed you on this trip?:_ **

**_:Then I’d come,:_ ** Anakin turned to him. It made Obi-Wan blink, at his sincere expression.  **_:We’re in this together,:_ **

“I’ll be fine, Anakin,” It meant more than he wanted to dwell on that Anakin would give up spending a week with his wife to go on a general run of the mill training run. But he didn’t need him.

“I know you’ll be fine,” Anakin sniffed gently, but smiled nonetheless. “I’m more worried about the  _ rest _ of the galaxy,”

Obi-Wan pushed him over for that but chuckled. 

**_:Leave the galaxy to me,:_ **

 

* * *

Sitting in the ship with Moralo Eval and Cad Bane, Mace Windu reflected on his life.

It was a good, long one. His life that is. Filled with adventure, and politics, and training of Padawans. With soft sunsets, and blood on his hands, and gritted teeth against the pain, and hidden smiles between Jedi in the halls of the Temple. It was balanced. The good and the bad, for the most part. In as much as it could be, Mace supposed. With the war, things had been thrown off kilter, but that was life.

And sitting on this ship, in the cockpit of a really, really lovely ship, he realized he was still missing a lot. 

As a Jedi, he never allowed himself to want things outside his station. Mace liked his life, he liked the way it fit together in the big picture, and he liked that he felt comfortable in that position.

And he hated that he was currently wanted by the very Republic he was protecting. Still, it served a purpose... even if what he hated most, was how much he didn’t mind being as far away from the temple as he could be. He loved the temple, he did.

But over the years it had become just a static place. Quiet, calm and peaceful, except... somehow muted.

_ It wouldn’t do to dwell on such things, _ Mace reprimanded himself as he focused back on the present.

Eval and Bane were arguing over the pros and cons of jumping to the next ship they found, deciding if they should kill the next pilot and crew to come across them. Mace swore not on his watch, but stayed silent behind them. 

His turn for piloting would come and then he would crash them into the nearest populated planet and force them to take him to their leader. Because as ‘smart’ as Eval was, he had to have a benefactor. Or else he would have stayed in prison. Their intel was good for that, at the very least. Plus, seeing how Eval had lived in prison had confirmed it. 

_ Crash the ship, then whatever comes from that, comes _ , Mace had to remind himself.

He had to keep reminding himself as the two scum of the galaxy behind him started to compare their kill counts for who was most impressive.

* * *

Meanwhile, while Mace did his best to survive and lead these criminals, the Council tried to understand where they'd gone wrong.

“Hardeen, Eval, and Bane have escaped prison,” Kit Fisto informed the Council.

Yoda hummed. 

“Bane could be a problem,” Adi Gallia stated, sighing. “But at least the plan is proceeding on schedule,”

“Oh yes, right on schedule,” Kit Fisto scoffed. “Except the part where it’s Mace, rather than Obi-Wan, and where Cad Bane has made it a trio rather than a duo, and the fact that Mace has no way to contact us - yes, right on schedule,”

Yoda rapped his cane onto the floor to stop the brewing argument that always seemed to erupt. 

“As should be, it is,” Yoda said. Looking out the window, he seemed to so far away. “Be, let the plan. Fine, Mace Windu will be,” 

The Council took his words with the trust they had allotted him. 

Absolutely and completely. 

* * *

The Negotiators crew was very near and dear to Obi-Wan’s heart. Practically family, in that way that ships sometimes created a home away from home. The vast majority of his crew were Clones, but he had a few oddball Republic citizen’s that he’d championed onto his ship. He had to fight for many of them because they hadn’t ‘qualified’ as most of the Clones had simply done by virtue of being Clones. Born and bred for war made hiring decisions... tiring. Those men and women, creatures of all creed, they were on the main deck with him, planning, running logistics, and piloting the ship. Keeping it up and running. Not to say he didn’t have Clones outside of battle roles, but they were few and far in-between.

Obi-Wan wasn’t kidding when he had told Anakin that the Clones knew very little besides war games, their drills, and studying on battle tactics (ground and air). Not that Anakin honestly thought not, he wasn’t a simpleton, but the command structure was... somewhat baffling. There were always oddball clones, just like with anyone, just like with any group, that preferred talking to shooting a blaster. And it didn’t make them any less vital to the War. It didn’t make words less of a battlefield than a literal, bloody battlefield.

As he stepped out of the hallway onto the Main Deck, he jovially greeted his second-in-command, and arguably the most oddball of them all.

“Admiral Oolas, how are we running today?”

“About how you’d expect,” The Devorian snapped, with a smile that was all teeth, as he leaned back in his Captain’s chair. “We’re on course, General,”

Now Oolas was an oddball for many reasons, but the one that stuck out at nearly every meeting Obi-Wan had attended before he was hired was simply this: Oolas was male. And _everyone_ who was anyone had a problem with that. The Devorian culture was matriarchal and so very few males cared for any position of power that everyone was suspicious about the reasoning why. The only thing that was typical of Oolas was his wanderlust and piloting capabilities. Everything else was... very much not.

“What’s our ETA?” Obi-Wan asked, striding to stand beside Oolas.

The Devorian huffed. “We’re on track,  _ sir _ . We’ll reach Kamino in just under thirteen hours. Please take a seat and  **relax** , General, we’ve got this,”

“That was never in question, Captain,” Obi-Wan chuckled patting the red man on his shoulder and walking forward to sit with the communication’s team. The team that was made up of two clones, Nix and Frizz, as well as the daughter of the Kuat Senatorial lead, Monaria, two Alderaanian men, Keith and Endo, and a female Dowutin, Gargarin, who Obi-Wan was still sure could take on the entire bridge without breaking a sweat. She had rolled her eyes when he’d asked about her mercenary background and, smiling, told him that it was all classified. 

The team worked together effortlessly and were simply the best at what they did.

Not to say the other bridge team’s weren’t impressive, but Obi-Wan was especially proud of his oddballs and how they defied expectations. Championing the weak and helpless was all well and good, but there was something about giving a helping hand to those who just needed a single stepping stone to get back on their feet.

“Any chatter?” Obi-Wan asked, smirking as Keith frowned at him and pushed one of his headphones behind his ear.

“It’s all just asteroids, trade ships transmitting their proximity to the hyper-lanes, and someone bitching about their marriage,”

Monaria busted out laughing and took her headset off entirely to turn to their General. “Oh, it’s not just bitching. This dude needs to get a life, because clearly, his marriage isn’t working out for him.”

Keith shot back, “He  **did** just admit to sleeping with about half the planet of Hosnian Prime,”

The communications team all chortled as they started trading their favorite bits of chatter. Obi-Wan leaned back and just enjoyed the atmosphere. His bridge was happy, he could feel their contentment and ease in the Force.

It was going to be a good day.

 

* * *

It was a good day. Right up until it wasn’t.

“Sir!”  Gargarin  shouted.

One second, the radar was free from any ships, trade, civilian, or warrior class vessels; the next there was a large dot blotting and blocking a large space on the screen. The sensors went ballistic. Loud and shrill, it startled everyone onto their feet.

Obi-Wan and his crew only had a second to react as they all did one of two things, reached for the controls of their station or jumped up to stare in horror at a powerful weapon the Jedi that thought destroyed. 

Not destroyed enough, apparently. 

For sitting in front of them, moving at a slow speed, but menacingly enough was the  **Malevolence.** Or a heavy cruiser done up to look like that god-awful ship that Anakin had destroyed months ago by crashing it into a dead moon. Obi-Wan felt a shiver in the Force and that was all the warning they got before the ship’s weapons flared to life.

_ How was it possible that a ship of that size could engage Hyper-speed and THEN engage it’s weapons coming out? _

Such was the horrors of space battle, they were defenseless even to try and dodge the blast that came. The shields hadn’t even had time to engage, it was that quick.

With a startling humming, grinding noise, the entire ship shut down. Comms. Lights. Emergencies systems glowed faintly as life-support and gravity generators stayed on. All-non-essential ship functions shutting down as if they were nothing more than ‘flipped’ like a lightswitch.

Everyone could only sit in stunned, agonizing silence as they watched the Malevolence come closer and closer, unable to move or to revive the stunned system.

“... Sir.” Oolas said, standing next to him, ramrod straight and staring.

It was a testament to his Bridge crew that everyone stayed silent, calm, even as their doom faced them. No one panicked. No one shouted. There were hurried whispers as Keith and Monaria tried to boost the communication devices, but it was no use, and they soon fell silent.

A moment passed. A moment that turned into seconds. A second into a minute.

“... Sir, why aren’t they attacking?” One of the clones asked. “We’re sitting ducks. I... We all know what the Malevolence can do... So why aren’t they doing it?”

No one was able to take their eyes off the ship in front of them, not even for a second, lest they miss their demise. But Obi-Wan’s stomach was sinking, lower and lower to his feet, as he realized that their deaths might not be the behemoths designs. Had it been, they would be dead by now. No. Obi-Wan felt his shoulders slump as he acknowledged the very much worse, and very much better reality:

They were about to be boarded.

“Are any of the ships electronics back online yet?”

There was a murmur as one of his technicians hesitated but told him. “Ten minutes.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Ten minutes until they could open doors themselves, could lock down, could even begin to defend themselves. It was no time at all, and yet all they were going to get.

“Then we wait ten minutes,” Obi-Wan told his bridge. “The second communications come back we’re on the offense. Expect the hallways to have hostiles. Send encoded messages to every squadron immediately to congregate in the mess hall, the living quarters, and all pilots to keep out of the bay.”

Solemnly, his communication staff nodded.

It was a waiting game now.

A waiting game of defense first, offense second... Surrender third.

* * *

As fate would have it when, after ten tense minutes, the power came back on their ship was immediately hailed. A comm frequency that Obi-Wan knew was somewhat familiar, the aribeshian alphabet flashing out a series of numbers and letter he swore he’d seen before.

Which was never good.

“Contact the squads,” he ordered, as he nodded to Keith to allow the hail through. “Oolas, keep this ship running as I talk to our...” He sneered, eyes narrowed. “Opponent. I’ll stall for as long as I am able.”

Sure enough, Dooku’s smiling visage showed up on the screen, blocking, partially, the view of the horrid ship in front of them. Oolas took command silently behind him, going to each person to talk rather than shouting commands. It kept Dooku out of that part of their planning, at the very least. Precisely as they had planned and drilled.

“Ahh, General Kenobi, what luck,”

Luck had nothing to do with it. Dooku had wanted this ship. This ship in particular. Obi-Wan’s ship. It wouldn’t take an idiot to figure out the reason why. It also wouldn’t take an idiot to figure out some traitor of the Republic had sold the information of his whereabouts and his travel patterns. It mattered little. This is the situation.

The trap had been laid, he had sprung it; now was the time to live with the consequences.

“Count Dooku,” Obi-Wan greeted holding himself stiffly. “To what do we owe this... pleasure?”

The Sith smiled and threw his head back and laughed. “I would think that is  **clear** , my dear Jedi - “ his eyes sparkled with undeniable glee, “Or... is that, ex-Jedi now?”

_ Karking kark, _ Obi-Wan didn’t allow himself to show his outward distress. It was as he feared. Dooku had heard of his turning his back on the Council and had decided to try his hand at widening the gap further. It was textbook. He’d tried it years ago, before the war, and now he was back to it. All over again.

“I am still a Jedi,” He claimed, lying, blinking calmly. “I am still a General of the Republic. You are mistaken,”

Dooku just snorted, still looking amused.

“I think not,” The man said. “Nevertheless, I suppose it is only polite to ask if you will surrender or do I need to subdue you?”

Obi-Wan snorted. “Perhaps we could discuss what you want?”

“That’s clear Obi-Wan. Ignorance is not a good look on you,” The Sith raised a brow. “And I believe I made it clear I ask only for your surrender. Whatever comes after, comes after,”

“We will not be giving in.”

“Very well,” Dooku said before turned to look at someone, or some droid, off the screen. “Begin.”

And Obi-Wan realized at that moment that the conversation, itself, had been a kind of trap - too. 

“Cut the feed!” Obi-Wan hissed, but it was no use. It was too late. 

Where Obi-wan had been trying to stall for time and drag on the unpleasant situation to allow his troops to communicate and ready their battle stations, Dooku had been doing the opposite. Dooku had kept him talking just long enough to find exactly which bridge they were stationed on, for the Negotiator had four functional command bridges. And, as with most battle tactics, taking out the head crippled the beast.

In this case, Obi-Wan was the only head that mattered.

“Have you gotten in contact with the rest of the ship?” Obi-Wan demanded as he turned to the communication hub. All of them were a flurry, but it was Fizz that turned to address him.

“Eighty percent of our units have responded, sir,” He said, in clipped short sentences.. “The bay has been taken. One pilot approximated nearly one hundred shuttles have landed. More are inbound,”

As Obi-Wan was giving his next set of Order’s, Endo abruptly exclaimed, “They’re powering up again! We’re gonna be hit!”

One of the technicians shouted next, “ETA on next debilitating ray burst in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - “

Up until the last moment, everyone was shouting orders, relying intelligence, and making rapid-fire notes. And the ship was once again silent as the engines were knocked out, electricity stalled, and the ship went dead. Communications halted. 

They floated.

Another ten minutes they could expect from this. Another ten minutes of being helpless.

Obi-Wan cursed colorfully. 

Oolas was the next one to speak up, “General, the emergency beacon was blocked. Our call for aid was... interrupted.”

Which just made Obi-wan curse all the harder as he paced around the deck.

“And the ground troops?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Orders were relayed. Clone troopers are hiding and awaiting next orders,”

“What percent made it to the areas outlined?”

Keith hesitated. “... Sixty percent at last count, sir,”

A pretty penny, but not an ideal amount. Just ten percent shy of what he needed. Not good odds. Not good anything. 

“We managed to receive communications from near everyone, except for Hanger Bay 5 and 7,”

“And the aftside weapons have been taken out,”

This went on and on. One after the other, every single one of his crew informed Obi-Wan the status report:

And it was not good.

“We should move to one of the other bridges, sir,” Monaria told him, as she yanked off her headset. “It’s our best bet.”

Except it wasn’t. The moving itself would open them up for further attacks. They were stuck in dead space, at the mercy of a ship that could make them inert and useless. There were no planets around that they could safely eject to, and Obi-Wan realized - they weren’t just trapped.

They were caged.

Obi-Wan stood, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he allowed himself to float on the Force, trying to understand it’s whispers, it’s conversation.

It chanted  _ change, change, chang _ e - like it had been doing since he and Anakin had left the Order, the mantra near constant, but it was also soothing. A comforting weight. He took a deep breath and only allowed his surface thoughts to sink into the Force. Not exactly mediation, just forceful thought.

_ Surrender _ , it whispered.

Obi-Wan sighed. He’d been afraid of that.  _ Kark. Karking kark kark! _

Still, like the good little Jedi he was inside, he obeyed.

“When communications resume, inform everyone we will be surrendering,” Obi-Wan ordered, keeping his eyes closed.

The living-force around him pulsated once, twice, before the angry emotions of his crew rose up around him. Indignant, afraid, and loud. Every single person on the bridge had something to say to that declaration.

Obi-Wan heard it all, even if they didn’t speak.

“Sir, we can’t!”

“We can fight, sir, we can win!”

“Surrender? Now?” 

“This is a bunch of - “ What followed was clearly a curse.

“Karking Dooku, I’ll show him surrender!”

He allowed it to go on for another moment before he raised a hand. 

Silence reigned, but the Force told him exactly what everyone thought. They were not happy with him. 

“Dooku set a trap,” He explained, clearly enunciating. “We fell for it. He wins this round, but we will win the next. Is it not wiser to lose one battle, yet win the war?”

Oolas narrowed his eyes but he slumped, obedient.

“You heard the General,” He backed him. As Obi-Wan knew he would. Not happily, but it was never a good moment when surrendering was one of the only options, “We will surrender.”

Grudgingly, everyone took their orders and obeyed. 

They heard the droids before the ten-minute mark was upon them. A clanking of feet, those stupid high-pitches voices they used, the ‘Roger Roger’, and worst of all the knowledge they could do nothing to stop what was going to happen.

Still, for all the droids came to knock down their door, it took them far too long. In fact, the power came back in before they even began sawing away at the door and Obi-Wan was quick to hail Dooku back. Better to get it all over with now.

As the Count’s face came on the screen, Obi-Wan spoke those wormwood words.

“You have our surrender, call off your droids,”

Dooku’s eyes lit up. The clanking of robot feet stopped outside the door, and Dooku, with a smile, began ordering Obi-Wan into how best to surrender himself, his crew, and his ship with the least amount of bloodshed possible. Always his men’s blood, for droids barely felt let alone bled.

It began with letting the Droids onto the bridge and it ended half an hour later with everyone in cuffs. Most of his crew kneeling in front of him, droids with weapons trained on them. Obi-Wan was tied to the Captain’s chair, with the Force suppression wristlets, a collar, and durasteel rope - it was all a little overkill but Obi-Wan knew it was more for the crews benefit than to truly debilitate him. Seeing their leader brought low was more psychological torture than anything else Dooku would have been able to accomplish by himself.

It took only ten minutes more for Dooku to arrive onboard. 

Obi-Wan felt the oily, slimy feeling of the dark side follow the Count as he entered the Bridge. Not being able to see him didn’t stop Obi-Wan from shivering as the living-Force was pushed aside and in its place the heavy-handedness of the darkness fell upon him.

“So good to see you again, Master Obi-Wan,” the Count greeted him as he stepped in front of his chair, blocking his view of his crew. 

“I wish I could say the same,”

“Up,”

The ropes fell away then, and Obi-wan rose, projecting calm, peace, and indifference - all while seething inside.

It was the greatest secret of the Jedi - never project, release, but it wasn’t always easy to release emotions in the moment. It was easier to hold onto them, to allow them to give you strength, to get through the worst of the day, before releasing those emotions into the Force. Use them, until you had to lose them.

Hard as it was to do, it was harder after holding those emotions in for so long.

Unfortunately, Dooku knew all the Jedi tricks of the trade, and he only smiled haughtily at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins the second arc of this story! :D Anakin and Obi-Wan have left the Order, are now Je-Yudai, and with Obi-Wan captured by the Seperatists... well, this is where it REALLY starts to branch off from TCW. :D  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Reviews and comments would be lovely!


	13. If I Had Known for Just One Second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan in Dooku's clutches. Anakin in the Senate's.  
> One's having visions. The other living a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time :)  
> My life is currently hectic. I just.... am so tired. Taking care of oneself is annoying and stupid and I wish I had a robot that I could just force to do everything for me. Add on full-time work and part-time school, working out at least every other day, eating well, and then general maintenance.... I am Tired(TM).  
> But still. Update. So there is that....  
> :)

The trip to Serenno was a slow, silent one. Dooku did not join him or his troops in their cells. In fact, Obi-Wan was surprised that he didn’t see the Count until they landed. His troops led one way, away, as he was led down the main gangplank towards his captor.

“Hello General,” Dooku greeted his bound captive with a tight-lipped grin as they reached the ground. 

“Count,” Obi-Wan said, inclining his head. He may be a captive, but he could still be polite. His anger has simmered, and now he had a good hold of himself. If there was one thing that stuck with Obi-Wan from his Padawan days, that would be it. “Lovely time of year to visit, hmm?”

The ex-Jedi flashed warm brown eyes at him before chuckling. 

“Of course, General, the Torii’s are in full bloom. Have you had the chance to visit before to see them?” 

_ Considering they were at war.. _ . Obi-Wan thought dryly.  "Sadly, I have not yet had the time."

“No matter,” Dooku said, waving away on of his droids that came to speak to him. “There is time for that yet. You must be curious,” 

One could say that...

“I suppose I must be,” Obi-Wan stated dryly. “Is there a reason?”

“I have brought you here to... talk.”

Obi-Wan stared. 

“You captured my men and me... to talk?” Obi-Wan said, incredulously.

“Yes,”

“You want me. You have me. Send my men back,” 

Dooku smiled all sharp teeth. “I think not,” 

Obi-Wan stiffened, expecting a threat, but Dooku waved him off.

“Worry not for your men, they shall remain unharmed,” His face returned to that carefully constructed blank mask. That in itself was a threat. “My droids and I will not do anything to them. You have my word,”

“And in the meantime I will be kept here for your amusement?”

Dooku nodded once, before beckoning to the droids behind him to lead Obi-Wan forward. 

“Take off the collar, the wrist-restraints should be all the General needs,” Dooku commanded.

The droids obeyed. When the collar was removed, Obi-Wan nearly melted as the Force returned. It filled that void in his chest, that emptiness. He drank it all in, greedily, and realized with an unhappy internalized-whine that it wasn’t at full force. It was like a trickle, when normally he would have been drinking from a stream.

Still, it was there, and not blocked.

Small mercies.

The General could do little but follow, confused and wondering just what the stars was going on. He hoped Anakin wasn’t aware he had been captured... he would do some stupid things to get him back. Especially after everything they’d shared and promised each other. Obi-Wan would find his way out of this, and hopefully Anakin wouldn’t come near enough to get captured, too.

As they walked, Dooku began to speak. 

“I have heard rumors that you and Skywalker,” He said his Padawans name with disgust, which only filled Obi-Wan with pride. “Have left the Order, is this true?”

Rumors of him and Anakin leaving the Order. That’s what had drawn the Count to him. Dissonance. Discord. Like a moth to flame, he had come practically running. Obi-Wan realized he should have predicted this outcome, but it was honestly so outlandish that the Count would have planned his napping.

“You heard correct.”

Instead of turning to confront him, or to say anything at all, the man just hummed an acknowledgment.

Obi-Wan sighed. 

Where his Master had been one to speak often and at length, Dooku was not. He was a quiet, contemplative person, with strength and a silent arrogance one might not assume unless he allows you to see.

The Je-Yudai was led into a well-furnished room that he immediately understood would be his prison. A simple bedroom with a balcony. Furnished richly and simply, with couches, bookshelves, and a screen in the corner that showed an ever-changing array of video. It was one of the nicer cells he’d stayed in, sure, but still a prison cell. The droids unhooked and deactivated the restraints on his wrists but kept the actual cuffs on. Keeping his connection to the Force weak and faint at best. 

Then the droids left, and he was alone with Dooku.

_ And so it begins,  _ Obi-Wan thought wryly as they squared off. Not settling into battle stance but mentally preparing. Dooku’s eyes shone brightly at the prospect, and Obi-Wan knew he far preferred this kind of torture to the physical kind.

They both stood face to face with each other, hands behind their backs, yet it was clear who held all the power. 

“I won’t patronize you,” Dooku began. “I have been planning your capture for quite some time now,”

_ Well then. _

“Though, I’ll admit, in the beginning, it was simply to annoy Skywalker, piss off the Council, and to remove you from the war for a while certain...  _ events _ took place.”

Obi-Wan blinked as his eyes widened in shock. Even with little connection to the Force as he had, he could feel that Dooku was being... alarmingly honest. Usually, Obi-Wan could only sense the lies someone was trying to pass off to him, but the brutal honesty in the delivery was also a stark contrast.

“You didn’t want me dead?” Obi-Wan asked, surprised he’d actually spoken out loud. He received a nod. Baffled he added. “But we are enemies,” 

Dooku snorted. 

“Enemies? Yes. Of the Republic? No doubt. But personally? No,”  And he sounded... honestly earnest. “Of course not! You are the Padawan of my Padawan, it would have been a shame to lose Qui-Gon’s lineage from this world.”

High praise from his Master’s Master. Especially considering Dooku’s dislike of Anakin. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what to say to that. It was... oddly sweet? Sometimes he forgot that so few people were left that knew Qui-Gon well enough to make such statements. It made his heart ache, for times past, but not enough to weaken him with sentimentality. There had to be an ulterior motive, other than what he’d admitted, but Obi-Wan wasn’t quite sure what. 

“In addition,” Dooku looked smug. “to wanting to capture you for the simple pleasure of it. It seems we may share more philosophies than I had thought. You left the Order. I left the Order...”

He left it open-ended.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Obi-Wan defended himself dryly.

The Count raised a brow. 

“Oh? What makes our situations so different?”

“Well, for one,” Obi-Wan said. “I haven’t betrayed the Republic nor do I serve the Sith.”

If the Count was bothered by that last insinuation, he didn’t show it.

“But you did become disillusioned to the order as a whole, did you not?” Dooku said. Then he drawled, with a small amount of humor, trying to lighten the room. “Or did you leave the Order because they tried to kill you?”

_ Ouch _ , that was a little too close for comfort, but Obi-Wan tightened his shields and resolutely didn’t allow any of Dooku’s words to register. Futilely, of course, because they weren’t that different, after all, were they? They both left the Order because the Order had fallen short of what they should be. They both had been rather public about it too, going through all the right channels rather than just walking out, never to be seen again like  _ some  _ Jedi.

“Why I left - “

“You and Skywalker.”

Obi-Wan glared at him and straightened. “Why  **Anakin** and I left is because we no longer agreed with the direction the Order was leading the Jedi nor the Citizens of the Republic in this war in. Nor in leading their troops. And, most importantly, because the Force willed it of us,“

Dook was endlessly amused.

“And yet you’ve stayed a General in their army.”

Obi-Wan clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes at him and jutting his chin forward. “The Order does not control the Army, the Senate does,” 

“Oh, my how  _ wonderful _ a contrast, I’m sorry,” Dooku said, sarcastically. Obi-Wan stiffened. “The Senate controls its army of  **slaves** through its Jedi  _ slaves _ . You must be so proud at the distinction,”

Prickling, Obi-Wan stared at Dooku, who was radiating smugness. And he was right, wasn’t he? That was the worst part. Him being right, and Obi-Wan knowing it, hell the whole galaxy knowing it. Clones were slaves. Just had a prettier title and less physical punishment that would maim them. The Clones may not have chips that would explode, but from what he understood they had chips that programmed docility into them. They did not have a Master who would abuse them, sell them for profit, or anything as horrendous as that, but they would have Generals who only wanted the end of the War over their lives. Expendable. Product. Nobody to champion their cause.

At least until now. Anakin and Obi-Wan would fight for them. 

The more Obi-Wan considered the Jedi, the more he realized how far they had fallen.

“I had no say in that decision,” Obi-Wan defended himself. “In fact, many of us did not have any say - “

The Count interrupted. “But you’re glad to use them, aren’t you? Millions of soldiers, all yours, at your disposal like silverware at the dinner table,” 

Obi-Wan clenched his teeth. Dooku just didn’t quit. Nor did he stop.

“What’s it matter if they’re all slaves?”

Obi-Wan turned away, keeping his mouth shut. 

Everything Dooku was saying was correct. It stung, it prickled. The Force around him was a melancholy sadness at the truth. And Obi-Wan knew, even when he had found Kamino, the one to discover all the Clones, that using them for war was heartless, nearly despicable. Yet, he had believed and trusted in the Council for what was best. He, like all the Jedi, had put aside personal morals and fought because it was the only thing to do. Because the Oder had said so, Obi-Wan had obeyed. He had put his trust implicitly in the Order.

And in the end, it hadn’t been enough to keep him there.

Peace and war, coexisting is not a balance.

Further, he believed that if he was not one to lead the clones, that they would be used as little more than cannon fodder by many of the other Generals. Jedi though they were - it was not easy to have full control over hundreds of thousands of troops without some kind of moral backslide. As much as Obi-Wan believed in his fellow Jedi, he knew he’d been tempted. Tempted to save as many as he could, at the risk of the Clones well being. 

Obi-Wan’s silence was apparently telling.

“So,  _ General _ ,” Dooku said, mockingly. “What makes you better than them? You have left, but not really. You have left but still stayed to fight. What makes your choices so much different than mine?”

“When I was a Jedi, I made choices to benefit the Jedi,” Obi-Wan spoke slowly, clearly, holding himself in check. “I have failed in my duty as a Jedi for anyone outside of the Order, and I mean to fix that now. The Jedi are meant to be peacekeepers, but we have fallen far away from that,” 

Obi-Wan took a breath. 

“The Council decided to use the clones we found, and we were stuck with their choices. The Council decided for every single Jedi that we would fight for the Republic. We were young and foolish, and we didn't know better. It never sat well with me. When we grew more knowledgeable, and wise, we still did not choose the correct course of action.  **That** is why I left. It is also why I have stayed. My men need a General,” 

Obi-Wan felt old. Too old to have these arguments. “I am that if nothing else,”

“You are that,” Dooku stated with a wicked smile. “If nothing else.”

_ Well played,  _ Obi-Wan thought at the skill with which Dooku had delivered the backhanded comment. The Je-Yudai tensed, waiting for another bout. Except it never came. With a sort of half-bow that was common on his planet, Dooku turned to leave, calling over his shoulder.

“Enjoy your stay, General. Please be aware that if you step out of this room, you will be rendered unconscious. If you try to contact anyone outside this room, you will be rendered unconscious. And if you try to escape in any way that I have not already discussed with you - “

“I will be rendered unconscious?” Obi-Wan replied back, sarcastically.

Dooku paused at the door. “You  _ do _ listen.”

Then he left Obi-Wan alone.

* * *

For six hours, Obi-Wan was left.

The tv in the corner that had been playing video, Obi-Wan was shocked to note, displayed an alarming number of cells, all holding his troops. The cells they were kept in were clean, numerous, and each fitted with a camera. The tv cycled through each cell every eight seconds. Just enough time to see that they were alright. Angry, defeated; safe and alive. It was bittersweet and left a bad taste in his mouth, but Obi-Wan understood Dooku’s power-play on this one.

_ Here they are.  _ It seemed to say. _ That  _ **_can_ ** _ change. _

His men were not being mistreated because Dooku had no need to do that. If he were kind to them, Obi-Wan would be disinclined to risk their safety. Dooku could have just as easily used the lack of knowledge to prickle and poke him, but instead, he was honest and, dare Obi-Wan to think it, kind?

It had taken him the full six hours alone and doing nothing but thinking on his predicament to realize he had to play this one way, and one way only: Smart. His troops depended on him being able to talk his way out of this. He would thank the Count for his... generosity. He would sit, and he would chat with the Sith. He would be the most polite prisoner ever, and he would give him  **nothing** .

And all the while, he would be alone with his thoughts.

A dangerous thing, for sure. At a time when his belief in the Order was shaken, but his faith had never been stronger. The Force was with him, even muddled as it was in a place of such darkness as the home of a Sith.

But that was the problem, wasn’t it? To be so alone, but so set in his ways... And in the heart of darkness.

Obi-Wan sighed. He would not repeat the Order’s mistakes, he swore, but he couldn’t promise that in the process he became something altogether not unlike the Sith. A combination of the two. Perhaps, a warrior class of Force-sensitives...Those thoughts were creeping in. Like spiders in a dungeon.

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan refocused on blocking out the dark. 

When he succeeded, marginally, he decided it was best to see what his new prison cell had to offer.

It wasn’t much.

The windows were made of a strong glass, nearly unbreakable. There was the faintest hint of a force-field of some kind about an inch outside of every wall. Probably a precaution against his abilities. The shelves, once Obi-Wan was finished scouring them, had only one single datapad on something that wasn’t war, sith, or dark related.

And it was a cookbook of all things.

Obi-Wan had to huff a laugh at that, as he turned it on.

And promptly froze.

**_Dearest Padawan,_ ** it read.  **_Perhaps now, we will finally have something edible in our quarters?_ **

**_Your Master,_ **

**_Dooku_ **

Obi-Wan felt frozen in place, staring at the words. This... this had been a gift. From Dooku to his Padawan. The only Padawan Dooku had had was Qui-Gon. Thus, this book must be his. Obi-Wan felt his fingers quake as he went to turn the page.

The cookbook was filled with small notes, written in his Master’s handwriting, about Dooku’s likes, dislikes, the successes of each dish, as well as doodles he’d made. Flowers, animals, and icons walked among the pages as if they belonged, and it made Obi-Wan’s heartache.

_ Oh, Master, _ Obi-Wan though as he pet one particularly good rendition of some species of kitten. 

_ Master, what do I do? _

It had been a long, long time since Obi-Wan had allowed himself to seek his Master. He reached in the Force, that faint trickle, and tried to latch onto some part of it that felt familiar. A small part that wasn’t just the Force, but his Master. Sometimes, he thought he felt it. That strong, weathered presence, like a rock and a brush of wind altogether. Flexible like a sapling, with all the Force of a rockslide.

As always, it seemed to be useless.

Every brief feeling disappeared as if it wasn’t even there. A trick of his mind.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes to the room he was imprisoned in and wished, not for the first time, that Qui-Gon was here to give his guidance.

Yoda would tell him: “ Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. ” And Obi-Wan would still miss Qui-Gon fiercely.

Mace would give him that unreadable look between not-pity and regret, before patting his shoulder. And still, Qui-Gon would be unreachable, a ghost, so close in memory but impossible to touch.

All of it was useless. All their platitudes, their sorrows, their apologies... It meant so very little.

He wanted Qui-Gon.

For the first time in years, he allowed himself to want for a Master that was long gone.

* * *

Anakin had once said he would rather eat his own lightsaber than attend a full Gala hosted by the Republic's Elite and most important persons for longer than two hours. That being said, he was two hours in and had only seen Padme for a handful of minutes, the rest of the time spent making small talk with people wanting to sell their left kidney for even a hint of his thoughts - and found his thoughts on the matter as unchanged as they ever were.

“So can we assume by this change of... yours and Master Kenobi’s loyalties that we can expect great things from you two?” A slimy politician that Anakin had never gotten the name of asked, with a big grin with far too many teeth.

“Our loyalty has not changed,” Anakin answered, with that easy smile he knew politicians favored. “We are loyal to the Republic,”

The man tittered in front of him. “Oh, we all are, definitely,” And then he winked at Anakin as if they were old friends in on the same joke. 

For stars sake, Anakin couldn’t help but think, his smile straining. 

As he and the dignitary had been talking, Anakin had allowed his eyes to roam the crowds looking for an out. He hadn’t found one yet, though not for lack of eye-pleading with Padme from across the room. The Chancellor was always busy and surrounded by people, though Anakin wished he could go and hide with his entourage. 

Then he saw Bail had just arrived.

_ Thank the Force _ , Anakin thought as he gave the dignitary a fake smile and placed a bracing hand against his shoulder nicely. “Apologies, I’ve got to go,” And he nodded vaguely in the near direction of where Bail was.

The man look put out but nodded.

Anakin fled as soon as was socially polite.

“Senator Organa,” He greeted with a relieved smile. He knew he wouldn’t be able to spend a lot of time talking to the man, but a few minutes or even half an hour away from everyone else in this hell would be enough.

“Knight Skywalker,” The man, greeted with a warm smile. “Or is that Master Skywalker now?”

“I’ll be honest,” Anakin smiled back. “I have no clue. Obi-Wan and I are still trying to figure it all out. The only thing we are certain of is that we aren’t Jedi anymore and that we’ve been given a new title by the Republic,”

“Ah, yes, I believe we all received that memo,” He answered. “Je-Yudai, wasn’t it?”

Anakin inclined his head. “That is correct,” 

Bail’s eyes flickered around him as if searching for a companion. “And where is your partner in crime, if I may ask?”

“It’s not a top-secret mission if that is what you’re going for,” Anakin drawled. “Nothing that exciting or I would be with him. No, he’s escorting his troops to Kamino to train the newest batch of clones,”

Bail sighed at that. Anakin was reminded that the General’s were on the front lines, but it was often enough that they found their support all Senate led. Bail and Padme the most helpful in passing bills to help with supply lines, keeping their rescued planets free, as well as being their champions in the Senate.

Anakin admitted, easily to Bail. “There is never enough time to train them before they are sent out onto the battlefield,” 

Bail nodded sympathetically and patted his arm. “Senator Amidala and I have been trying to pass reforms on such tactics but have been blocked at near every turn,”

Anakin knew this already, because of his short ‘tutoring’ session with his partners. Padme had had a lot to say about how far the Republic would go to win the war at the expense of its Clone troopers. It would be one of the first things Anakin and Obi-Wan would rally and cry against once Obi-Wan was home.

He said as much to Bail.

The other’s eyes lit up. “I am happy to hear that!” He said, with a relieved smile. “That’s a weight off my chest. With both of your support, surely we will be able to change the Republic into one we can all be proud of,”

After that, they only talked for a few minutes more, which was Anakin’s threshold. Then they bid each other good night, and Anakin retreated to the balcony. There were many beings of all shapes and sizes, but none of them were going to bother him. The balcony was exclusively a quiet spot, where those tired of the inner party could come to take a breath.

And Anakin needed a moment to breath. Which he was blessedly given.

“There you are,” The voice of his wife washed over him a few moments later. “I thought I might find you out here,”

Padme came to stand next to him, leaning on the railing and teasingly bumping his shoulder with her own.

“I lasted a whole hour,” Anakin tried to defend himself. 

“I saw,” Padme whispered, touching his elbow. “I’m very proud of you, Ani,”

“If Obi-Wan and I could survive being mauled over dry cleaning, I can survive a bunch of stuffy politicians,”

Padme chuckled. “Well, you did,”

Anakin’s gaze didn’t waver from the sky.

“Can you feel him?” Padme was always curious about the Force, about how the Jedi worked the Force, what it could say, what it couldn’t say.

Anakin nodded and reached out, trying to feel for Obi-Wan.

It was a useless exercise, Anakin knew this. They were too far, and they had never been able to feel each other at a distance other than to confirm the other was alive. And Obi-Wan was very alive, a shining beacon in the distance. Another star in the sky.

Anakin wondered, what did non-Force Sensitive people see? Did they see the stars, as numerous as they were? The lights of people that shone in between the gaseous giants hidden among the dark? Did they see planets as dark? Did they see stars as alone?

“What do you see?” He asked Padme, in that same whisper she had used.

“The stars, the darkness in between,” She answered.

“Can you see the light of the planets?” he asked, not sure why he was really asking. He knew the answer. 

She shook her head.

“What does that feel like?”

Padme blinked at him. “What do you mean?”

“What does it feel like... to not be connected? For the universe to be silent? For the lights not to shine so bright?” It all came out, like a secret he’d been harboring for so long. “What does it feel like to be... what does it feel like to be born free?”

She stiffened next to him. “Ani, I don’t.... I don’t know what to say,”

Anakin pulled away slightly, so he could turn and smile reassuringly at her. He had startled her. That wasn’t his intention. “It’s alright, I was just feeling... melancholy,”

“Ohh, it’s a big word night, huh?” She teased, but there was relief in her voice. Relief that he was fine. That he was just speaking his mind. That he wasn’t broken.

Anakin wasn’t sure what else to say to put her mind at ease, so he said nothing to that effect.

“Home?” He asked, tired.

She nodded, allowing him to be. “Home.”

 

* * *

After those first few hours of the first day feeling sorry for himself, Obi-Wan tried his hand at mediating.

It... it did not have favorable results. 

His first foray into his mind was met with a  **violent** vision.

_ A black fist held a green crystal in hand, jerking as the raw power radiated through the glove and into the palm of the hand. A hand which was only attached further to black. It was a void that seemed to hold the small bit of sentient-crystal. The Crystal hummed, angered and saddened and... afraid? Yes, afraid. The fear, the uncertainty, the knowledge of the Crystal being opposed to this being - it made the dark-shadow-being happy. _

_ ‘Show me not one more vision, you pesky rock,’ A voice hissed through a ventilator that made the being sound sick. ‘This is my path. I have chosen it. And it is  _ **_right_ ** _.’ _

_ The Crystal screamed as the being pushed with all its might. Corruption flowed and pushed within the gem, but the little crystal pushed back - snarled and dragged the being into a vision. Obi-Wan was not dragged into that vision, but watching as the being snarled and spit, nearly dropping the green glowing crystal - he nearly wished he could watch. _

_ ‘No!’ The being snarled. And this time, true rage, true anger, true... loss? Loss like a chasm, as deep and as unending as the ocean - filled the being up and  -  _

Obi-wan came back to himself in his cell shaking in his kneeling position. He felt unsteady like he’d just been knocked from his mooring. He felt sick, nauseated, and deeply, deeply saddened. Worse, as he retreated from the Force, from the vision, he realized the being was familiar. 

It felt, for a moment, like Anakin. But twisted so, it could have been any number of Jedi. Dark, and sad, and angry, and twisted, and awful.

_ No,  _ Obi-Wan thought, running a hand through his hair, the band catching on a lock of hair. Obi-Wan ignored it in favor of his world being turned upside down.  _ It couldn’t have been Anakin. Not  _ **_his_ ** _ Anakin, sweet and stubborn and arrogant. Not smug, and corrupted, and...  _ **_damaged_ ** _. _

It was... it was a Sith trick. It had to be.

Obi-Wan leaned against the wall, feeling overheated.

The worst part, was the Force whispered just as he turned his head into the cool, welcoming steel - 

_ Change change change. _

And Obi-Wan didn’t know what the fuck to think of that.

* * *

Obi-Wan tried again, only an hour later, for he had nothing to do. He resumed his meditation pose, closed his eyes, and was dragged again into a whirlwind of colors and emotions and feelings -

_ It was a battlefield. It was multiple battlefields. Ryloth. Mygeeto. Cato Neimoidia. Each one superimposed over the other. Clone troopers stood around their Jedi commanders and Generals ready to go to war, ready to go to battle. The atmosphere was heavy with promise, with reckoning. _

_ The troopers received a message. None of them verbally answered. _

_ No. Perhaps that would have made it easier to watch. But they said not a thing, and therefore it was all the harder to watch what happened next. One by one, in erie, perfect synchronization across millions of star-miles and space, the Clones betrayed the Jedi. Blaster shots rang out, and so very few Jedi Commanders blocked those first shots. The Generals that did, nearly every one of them, trusted in the Force and managed to block the first barrage. The ones with Padawans... managed to protect their charges for a few moments more but ultimately it was useless and one by one by one they all - fell. The death stunk up the Force, the agony a wave of barely digestible understanding -  _

Obi-Wan came out of that vision gasping, doubling over as he tried to catch his breath. It wasn’t until he realized he was choking on something, that he realized he was crying. Neurotically, at that, he checked on his troops. They were pissy and angry, but unharmed. Nor were they attacking anyone else. The cages held them well.

Obi-Wan felt relief and then - anger. It bubbled up.

He was glad they didn’t have blasters to aim.

And he was terrified of what it all meant.

* * *

He tried only one more time. _ Face your fears, Obi-Wan _ . 

And it was this time that took everything he had left and ground it to dust.

_ Satine stood on her balcony, the one they had jumped from all those years ago, and had run and run and run. But there was no manic energy to her. She was not being chased. She wasn’t being hunted. She was ruling Mandalore with an iron fist of Peace and Prosperity. _

_ Even with only a second of a glance, Obi-Wan was reminded of how beautiful she was. Strong boned, fair-haired, with narrowed distrustful eyes that he could still remember lighting up in delight as he’d sourly told her joke after joke after joke, trying to keep their spirits up.  _

_ She was safe. This vision was a nice one. _

_ At least, that’s what Obi-Wan had assumed, but the vision proved completely wrong as it twisted and jerked as a dozen men and women, wearing the battle armor of the old Mandalorians, came stomping in. Words must have been exchanged, but they mattered little. Obi-Wan could not hear them. He couldn’t hear Satine nor the man who steps forward aggressively. _

_ But then, nothing mattered. Nothing mattered as one raised their blaster and shot Satine. _

Obi-Wan fell out of that vision much as he had the last two. Grasping, falling forward. His hands shook, even clawed into the ground as they were, but Obi-Wan understood something now. 

This wasn’t a fluke. Or a mistake. The Force was speaking to him

Either that or these were nightmares he was being forced to live.

The words of his own misguided understand came to him then. Words he’d spoken to Anakin. Words that had been spoken to him by his own Master.

_ “Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment,” _

Obi-Wan wanted nothing to do with those visions. Not even to dwell on them for a single second longer. So he focused on what his Master had once told him: 

_ “Keep your concentration on here and now,” _

For the rest of his stay, Obi-Wan had learned his lesson.

He did not mediate again. 

Nor would he. Not for a long, long time.

“If the Force wants to tell me something,” Obi-Wan mused weakly to himself, as he leaned back onto his knees. “It can give me karking nightmares.”

* * *

When Dooku entered next, Obi-Wan was sure he would mention the Force and his visions - then Obi-Wan would know they were false and he could rest easy. Except, even subdued as he was, the Force whispered to him. And he did not like what he heard.

_ Change change change, _ it whispered. Obi-Wan pushed those thoughts away.

Faith he may have, but even he needed a break.

“I’ve brought dinner,” Dooku said, snapping his fingers at the droid that had followed him.

“How thoughtful,” Obi-Wan muttered to himself, still leaning back in the chair he had been sitting in since his last... vision. The shaking had stopped at least, but he wasn't feeling hungry. 

“Yes, well, I wouldn’t want you to starve,” Dooku was smug and smirking. “I’m not a Jedi, after all,” 

Obi-Wan allowed his eyes to narrow for a moment, before pulling his emotions in and forcing his normal mask to fall. It seemed it was time to earn his keep.

“The Jedi are what the Council makes them,” He responded. “But no Jedi would starve a prisoner,”

“Oh, so they aren’t individuals, responsible for their own souls? They wouldn’t follow an order from the Council no matter how reprehensible?” 

That made Obi-Wan freeze. 

Dooku blew right past him as if he hadn’t spoken, to where the droids had placed the food. 

It took Obi-Wan a moment to regain his equilibrium before he turned to look at Dooku. He tried not to let Dooku’s words bother him, they were the usual anti-Jedi rhetoric, but he was in an uneven state. The visions had left him shaken, more so than usual. In the Jedi and in himself. 

“You must understand, of course,” Dooku was saying, as he gestured outside to his droid army. “I would never have picked droids had there been any other way. Unlike you and the Council, the Jedi in general, we didn’t have a Clone army battle ready and willing to fight and die for us.”

He sighed. 

“No, we just had droids and the hope that if we could separate just far enough from the Republic that we’d have freedom. Perhaps freedom worth little, but it would be ours.”

It was a somewhat noble ideal, Obi-Wan thought, dryly. If there was any real truth to it.

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what the Count’s aim was for these talks other than to hear himself speak, but it wasn’t like the Je-Yudai could complain. This was far, far better than torture. Far far better than seeing those visions over and over again.

“Nothing to say to that, hmm?”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. That was bait right there.

“Oh, you expected a response?” His sarcastic quip earned him a small smirk. Nothing more than a simple upturn of lips. “I assumed you would like your prisoner quiet,”

“Prisoner you may be, General Kenobi, but I enjoy our conversations,”

Obi-Wan wanted to scoff, but he held it in. “Oh yes. The many conversations we’ve had.... When exactly?”

Dooku smiled a truly awful thing.

“I remember a conversation, well. On a certain planet, if you’ll recall, where I offered you the chance to learn everything, to give you the truth the Jedi are so blind and deaf to... Did I not?”

Dooku liked to talk, which, for Obi-Wan, was a surprise. His Master had never hinted  that Dooku, when he was a Jedi, had had any love of talking just to hear himself talk - but here he was. Entertaining Obi-Wan as neatly as he would any guest.

“Well,” Obi-Wan drawled. “I am here now, am I not?”

Dooku shook his head. 

“And yet, I feel more disinclined to tell you than ever before,”

Obi-Wan’s eyes narrowed. “And why pray tell, is that?”

“You’re so close to the truth, Master Kenobi,” Dooku stated. “And yet, I know if I were to tell you-you would deny it. You would buck, and toss your head, and you would not accept the truth of my words,”

_ Of course, I wouldn’t, _ thought Obi-Wan.  _ You’re a lying snake. Anything out of your mouth is sure to be a lie. _

But it wouldn’t do to say that to him. Instead, he lifted an unimpressed brow and said. 

“You’ve hardly even tried,”

Dooku chuckled but shook his head.

“Six months,” Dooku said. “I will give you six months, and then I will tell you. You can take what you will from what I say. You can believe what you wish. You can toss aside my wisdom as the Jedi Council did,”

_ What was his angle? _ Obi-Wan thought.  _ What could he possibly want? _

But he was a prisoner. It wasn’t the best idea to argue or to poke or prod the dragon that guarded the entrance to the cave. Obi-Wan had to play it smart. Even if he would rather punch Dooku in his smug face.

“I suppose that means you’re letting me go?”

Dooku shook his head, amused at Obi-Wan’s audacity to once again demand release. Instead of responding to what they were speaking about, Dooku changed tactics. 

“Please eat, we have all the time in the world to talk later,”

And Dooku began to eat. Obi-Wan still had no appetite, so he didn’t move an inch. It didn’t affect the Count one bit, and he ate his fill. Then, without fanfare or more conversation or anything, he got up.

“I will see you tomorrow, Kenobi,”

And then he left.

Obi-Wan had never felt so out of sorts, trying to understand this game that the Count was playing. It was a long one, whatever he was doing, but all his moves didn’t make sense.

_ Why only capture Obi-Wan? Why not take Anakin, too? Why did it matter? What was he doing? Why was he doing it? What was Dooku going to do when Obi-Wan tried to escape? What would Dooku do with his men the entire time he was here? _

These questions plagued Obi-Wan.

 

* * *

It doesn’t take Anakin long to notice that something is wrong. It really, really doesn’t. Obi-Wan was supposed to call from Kamino when they arrived; which should have been almost half an hour ago. Anakin hadn’t noticed immediately because Padme, and he had been playing a game of Scrubble. 

Still, he knew something was wrong the instant his eyes caught the chrono, and it read past the hour he thought it was.

“I haven’t heard from Obi-Wan,” Were the first words out of his mouth as he stood.

Padme hardly seemed terribly upset as she frowned at him and the board. “Oh? Was he supposed to call?”

“He was. At quarter past,” Anakin quickly went to his back for his Comm. “Hmmm...”

“Nothing?” 

Now there was a thread of worry in her tone. It didn’t necessarily make things better for Anakin, but he realized how serious everything had just gotten. Padme had caught on fast. And in war, things happened at an alarming rate. One second on the battlefield was the difference between life or death.

A battle in space was no different.

He called the barrack on Coruscant. After giving his identification, he was politely greeted.

“General Skywalker,” A shiny answered as he was transferred. “What can I do for you today?”

“Hello, have you received confirmation that the Negotiator has reached Kamino?”

“One moment, General,” The man on the line replied seriously. 

It took a few seconds, the Clones were quick-learners and even faster absorbers. This job of answering the phones may have been plebeian, but the clone had been trained to do his best. And the best he would do. Which became abundantly clear when he came back on the line.

“General Skywalker, we have no confirmation that Kamino has received any of our ships,” The man said, his voice hard. “I am sending out a ‘ping’ now, if I do not receive an answer in two minutes, I shall inform the Jedi Council that General Kenobi is currently unable to be found and that we should scramble the troops,”

Anakin found his breath had caught as he listened.  _ Oh hell. _

“General, would you like me to give the command to ready the Resolute?”

“Alert Code Beta-Seven-Seven-Alpha-Beta-Beta,” Anakin replied as he quickly hopped to his feet.

Obi-Wan didn’t stray from the beaten path, especially not for something as stupidly simple as a shinie-run. Nor was it as cut and dry as Anakin knew it could be. There were exactly four routes to take to reach Kamio within a full cycle travel, and none of the ‘weak’ spots on those routes were even close to each other. Which meant, if Obi-Wan had fallen into a trap, or had sprung said trap, then it had been so perfectly planned that the only explanation was that they had a leak.

: **_Fuck,:_ ** Anakin thought through their bond. : **_Obi-Wan,:_ **

There was no response, of course. 

This far away, there wouldn't be. 

He was just shouting into the void.


	14. Did You Think I'd Crumble?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Count bestows an unwanted gift on Obi-Wan.  
> Padme tries to convince Anakin to calm both his tits.  
> Anakin tries not to blow up at the Council, because Obi-Wan wouldn't want him to.  
> Ahsoka is finally, finally, is back in the loop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story may be a little shorter than I originally thought/planned. Some things chopped out, other things added, both Obi-Wan and Anakin are cooperating. It's a nice pace I have going. Granted, the rest of the chapters are mostly outlines, with the exception of the next chapter, but we'll get there when we get there.... And. Damnit. Ohmygosh. I just realized I never covered why Obi-Wan and Anakin have kept their lightsabers!!!! -face slap of horror-  
> Oh... uhm... well, let's just forget about that, huh? I'll address that... later.... much.......... much later.  
> Anyway, I think it's beyond time that I thank all you readers that have stuck with this story! Readers/kudo'ers/commenters thank you!  
> Special thanks to my Beta, picavenger14, who's keeping my writing on track and making sure I name rooms in the Temple correctly! As well as giving my Nubian curse words! :D

The very next day, the Je-Yudai’s head popped up as Dooku came back into the room. This time, he held something in hand. A small box, an inch larger than his fist. 

_ Well, this is new, _ thought Obi-Wan groggily. So far, Dooku had come for meals, to gloat and generally be an ass while trying to change Obi-Wan’s mind. Had he not kidnapped him Obi-Wan might have considered listening. But he had. So he didn’t give him half a thought. There were other ways to go about getting one's way and kidnapping should never be considered the premium model.

“Good evening, Kenobi,” The Count greeted him. A droid followed with a tray. 

Gesturing with his hand for Obi-Wan to sit, Dooku took his place at the head of the table. Knowing how to play the game, Obi-Wan sat to his right. It was the correct choice because Dooku gave him an immediately amused look. 

“Are the quarters to your liking?”

“They are adequate,” 

Dooku’s lips twitched. “Good,” Then, he placed the box on the table before sliding it over to Obi-Wan.

The younger man raised a brow, staring at the seemingly innocent box. There was something... off to it, though. No pressure, no feeling, no Force presence - but it was off. Obi-Wan looked at the box, didn’t touch it, before raising his eyes once again to Dooku’s. A silent question.

“Open it, please,” Dooku commands.

Narrowing his eyes, because that’s all he can do short of disobeying, and he doesn’t want to necessarily do that yet, Obi-Wan reached forward. 

The second his finger touched the box he understands far too much of what is inside it. Fortunately and unlike Vos, who has the gift of seeing the history of objects, Obi-Wan was only struck nearly nauseated by the darkness that latched onto him. That bit into him like a beast looking for a meal.

Startled and off-put, he nearly yelped but did, in fact, leap up and away, Obi-Wan realized what it was. Holding his hand to his chest and breathing heavily as he stared at the once more innocent box. 

But it’s not innocent. What’s within the box is... dark. Darkness like a cave. Hot like a burning star. It settles a pit into his stomach. A memory of a time long ago, on Naboo, of a battle to the death, for life, against one that stunk of this very darkness. One that is very hard to shake or to right. It’s like staring at the absolute epitome of the Sith.

For that’s what it must be.

“A Sith Holocron,” Obi-Wan whispered, despite himself.

Dooku’s voice is so karking proud when he answers.

“Darth Revan himself,”

Obi-Wan doesn’t know who that is. All he knows is he doesn’t want to know.

“I do believe I asked you to open it, not just touch it,”

“I refuse,” Obi-Wan bit off, hand shaking from the after-effects of the darkness. He couldn't imagine touching it more. 

If ever there was any doubt in his mind of Dooku’ loyalties, they were gone now.

“I don’t believe I asked if you  _ would  _ or  _ could _ ,” Dooku stated, blandly watching Obi-Wan. “Now, open it.”

The ex-Jedi wanted so badly to just tell him to fuck off, but at the last moment he caught himself, the holo-screen at the corner of his eye reminding him of one glaring truth. Of his troops, all stuck here, thanks to him. This wouldn’t be the first time he had to suck it up and do something he loathed, but it was the first time it had anything to do with the Force. Fisting his hand and then releasing it, Obi-Wan tried to blanket himself in the Force, but knew it would do little good.

_ Fuck. _

Returning to the table he quickly and efficiently opened the box, as if was just work, and business, and not a Sith Holocron... but it  **_is_ ** a Sith Holocron. It’s not something to be ignored. It’s a fact. It’s mote. And his fingers burn with unholy fire, as his stomach clenches from the sweet-sickly-sweet darkness, as first the lid is opened and then Dooku just stares at him, as if expecting more of him.

Obi-Wan knows immediately that he’s to pick up the holocron.

_ What’s one more step forward? _

Taking a deep breath, he does so.

It’s.... it’s less unsettling in his hand. Like the warmth of his hand makes it react differently. It’s still incredibly cold, so cold it’s hot and it burns, like fetid breath, and the darkness rakes against his own light, but it’s not horrible. Just... completely not-nice.

He holds it for one beat, two - three - before he drops it to the table so it lands as it had sat in his palm.

“Is that all?” Obi-Wan demands through clenched teeth.

Dooku just nodded, getting up himself to pick up the holocron. The little triangle lights up in his hands, greeting him, flaring, but he ignores it to walk over to an empty spot in the room. With no outward signal, a part of the floor opens. What rises out of it is a long, thin pedestal. When Dooku settles the holocron onto it, Obi-Wan is immediately greeted by a small Force-nullifying-field springing up between him and it.

_ Oh. Fuck you,  _ Obi-Wan thinks unkindly of the Sith Lord. But it’s justified. Corruption comes in many forms. Passive and aggressive being the most well known. 

And what was more passive than a Sith Holocron in the area one slept?

He’s forced to watch as Dooku comes back, sits down at the head of the table, and the droids place their food and lift their lids off the trays of food. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan has lost what little appetite he had managed to eek out.

Rather fortunately, Dooku didn’t seem to care.

* * *

Anakin started by pacing. It was a good, solid tactic. Pacing was. Kept your body busy while your mind was allowed to run free with every single stupid thought that tumbled in. Thoughts like:

_ I should have been there.  _

_ It should have been me. _

And the lesser, but no less important thoughts of:

_ Nothing’s concrete yet. He may just be out of range or there could have been a meteor shower or he could be off seducing some pretty blonde royal. Yes. Pretty. Blond. Stubborn. Such a flash of emotion it would probably catch Obi-Wan off guard and he would forget to call. _

_ That sounded reasonable. _

Except it didn’t and Anakin’s stomach kept sinking the longer the comm went unanswered. When it did come alive, he never thought in his wildest dreams that it would be the to that same unnamed Shiny saying:

“Apologies, General, but we are unable to hail General Kenobi’s ship,”

And then it was real.

Something crashed behind Anakin, but he paid it no mind. Something crunched, and still Anakin couldn’t help but stare off into the distance, eyes unfocused as he tried to grope for Obi-Wan’s presence.

It was still there. Lightyears away. Alive. Bright.

Untouchable.

All he could do was wait for more information.

The one thing, he was, literally the worst at.

“ANI!”

Anakin turned to see Padme grabbing a lamp out of the air. There were a number of items floating around the room. Clinking together softly, as if they were on their own trajectory, like a planet.

_ Oh. I must have lost control,  _ Anakin thought dispassionately, feeling numb. With control he wasn’t feeling, he placed everything back on the ground. It had been a long long time since he had effected the Force so. Things floating. Obi-Wan would be disappointed.

“They can’t get ahold of Obi-Wan,” Anakin said as the last object settled out of place. “Which means he didn’t make it to Kamino. Which means he’s not where he’s supposed to be. And he hasn’t contacted anyone to tell them why not,”

Padme’s disapproving face slowly melted to horror.  Which she quickly hid behind a mask so thick that he was reminded of when she was the Queen. 

“There must be some mistake,” She said.

“There is no mistake,” Anakin hissed. 

Padme wrung her hands, the only outward motion she allowed herself. 

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Padme said, her hand landing on Anakin’s arm, a grounding, solid weight. Real. It was real. It made it better.

It made it worse. 

“Ready my ship,” Anakin told the clone on the other end of the communication device. A snappy response and the clone was off.

Padme fussed over him as he remained mostly speechless, a little shaky, and mostly statue-still. She made him tea. Sat him on the couch. Plopped herself into his lap and weighed him down like a paperweight. He sighed into her hair, and tried not to let his worry into his head.

Except it was already rooted deep, like a many tentacled beast worming its way through his every single thought.

[Ding. Ding. Ding.]

There was a call incoming. Anakin gently pushed Padme off in his hurry to get up, wanting to appear standing for the brief conversation that was to follow.

“Sir,” The shiney said, grave as all the clones could be when the time was called for. “We’ve been denied by the Council.”

_ Ah. _ Anakin thought as his chest burst with rage.  _ There’s the  _ **_anger_ ** _. _

* * *

 

Padme had never actually feared Anakin. Sure, his power was terrifyingly amazing, and he was no longer a child, but that wasn’t scary. Not to her. The Separatists were scary. The changing of the glaxy, her world, the degradation of the democracy, was what kept her up at night.

Now though... as she watched Anakin clench his fist, staring down at the communication device, where he’d just heard the bad news that the Jedi weren’t going to green-light his rescue mission - she got it. 

He was a tornado of feelings on a good day. And today none of those feelings were positive. 

For a split second, she saw what the Separatists must see.

If she was an angel, as Anakin loved to point out, then clearly Anakin was a wrathful god, angered by his people and his worshipers. His eyes were alert, bursting with a kind of fire she’d never actually be able to explain with any mortal words. His hair whispered and floated around him, as if held still in zero-g. He stared, and in that stare, a thousand battles played out. Only one winner ever decided. Only one winner ever allowed.

“Ani,” Padme said, but even she didn’t recognize her own voice, faint, and weak, and pitched scared.

Anakin didn’t respond.

“Ani.” Padme said more firmly, believing her words could stop him, believing that he was still and would always be her Anakin, and pushing, though she had no way to reach him though the Force, to calm down.

He took a breath. 

His eyes flashed to hers, no longer so filled with ire and anger and the burning of a thousand worlds, but with grief and pain and so lost it broke Padme’s heart as she remembered this same expression on his face, years ago, on Tatooine. Anakin had only been raised to deal with those emotions one way: and that was to turn them off. Except he was never good at that, so he usually just exhausted himself by winning the battle at hand, or defeating the foe, or throwing the world's largest hissyfit.

Sex worked sparingly, surprisingly. 

“I’m going to go talk some sense into them,” Anakin snarled, twirled on his heel to go and grab his cloak and belt and lightsaber.

Padme knew in that moment that this was not going to end well. Three scenarios were before her: Anakin went to the Council, they told him no, he went off the rails, and Obi-Wan was lost as he was probably thrown into jail; Anakin went to the Council, they told him yes, Anakin was pleasantly surprised, and he went off for months in search of his friend; or Padme kept him here, talked him into calming down, and then sitting on him if need be, before allowing him to go in an hour after he’d had time to think.

The rescuing Obi-Wan could come after. One plan at a time, after all.

So, she threw herself headfirst into the danger that was Anakin Skywalker on the warpath.

“Stop!” She commanded firmly, as she stood in front of him and the door.

“There’s no time!” Anakin exclaimed, already buckling his belt, his hair a wild, tangle as he whirled on her. “Obi-Wan could be being tortured right now! Or worse!”

“There is always time,” She told him. He moved to pass her, but she just moved herself again right back in front of him. “You need to calm down before you do something you regret,”

He snorted. As if he’d regret anything. Ever. That wasn’t his style. She knew she was running out of time to stop him from running headfirst into danger.

“Fine,” She snapped. “Stop before you do something you  _ and Obi-Wan _ will regret,”

He pulled up like a horse that someone had yanked on the reigns, blinking dumbly, as if he had just occurred to him what his actions could be construed as. 

“I wouldn’t-”

Padme snorted. “You  _ would _ ,”

He went from wrathful god to kicked puppy in the span of a second that Padme was sure she was getting emotional whiplash. She sighed. 

“Padme, I just want to find Obi-Wan,” He stated, but now he couldn’t meet her eyes. His shoulders were hunched. “I’m not going to do anything crazy... I was just... gonna go tell the Council where they could stick it and... well...”

_ Balt of the Seven Moons _ , Padme thought to herself with a sigh, it was days like this that Padme was reminded of what her parents always told her:

Marriage was a Force-forsaken chore somedays.

“Anakin, think about what Obi-Wan would want you to do in this situation,” She tried to calmly lead him.

He sighed.

“He’d want me to have a plan of attack before I went before the Council,”

“Exactly,” Padme agreed. For them knowing each other so well, it surprised her how often neither of them followed each other’s advice.

He crossed his arms petulantly. “I am no longer a Jedi, Padme, a lot of my leverage came from my title,”

“You still have a title,”

Anakin glared at the ceiling. “Yes, but not one of note. Je-Yudai is a new title, with perhaps the same outline within the Senate's purview, but without the same kind of backing to it,” He tightened his arms. “This is the absolute worst time for either of us to be captured,”

Padme blinked, somewhat shocked that Anakin already had this mapped out so far in his own head. Cocking her own head to the side, she decided to poke him and see what else he had in that beautiful brain of his.

“So then, what’s your plan of attack?”

Anakin looked at her before rolling his eyes. “Yelling at them and calling them a bunch of no-good old-farts who can’t see past their noses is out, right?”

Padme sighed. So much for his beautiful brain.

“Yes, Ani, those are most certainly out,”

* * *

Before Anakin entered into the Council Chamber, he sought out his Padawan. 

It was... strange to be so far removed from Ahsoka, but it was the nature of the beast. He was no longer a Jedi; she was. He was training her in all manners of Jedi and Force-Sensitive things, but they were not being housed in the same area. In some ways, it was like the schools many of the children of influential beings attended. They lived one place, their teachers another.

It was just... very much not the Jedi way.

_ Another thing I have taken from her _ , Anakin thought, with a pang in his heart.

Following their bond, Anakin found her sitting in the Room of Tranquility. She was underneath a large, Bont tree, nestled in between the cragling roots and the knobby wood. Her lekku peaking up and over the tall roots, the only part of her visible.

It was a good place to hide. And if the maelstrom of emotion in the Force was coming from her and not the tree then it was a good thing he was here. He felt a pang of sourness again. So far removed, it wasn’t easy to forget her, but other things became a priority. More immediate in his vision, made it easier to react to. He felt like an awful Master, but promised as soon as Obi-Wan was back that they would be thick as thieves again.

If she wished.

“Ahsoka?” He asked.

He heard a sniffle.

“Master Skywalker?”

Then Ahsoka’s head was poking up over the root. Her eyes red-rimmed.

“Hey there,” He said, in pale imitation of Obi-Wan. “I take it you’ve heard?”

She nodded and sniffled, before jumping onto the root, and then down in front of him. “I was there with Master Plo Koon when he was called away...”

_ Of course, _ Anakin thought, watching as she wouldn’t meet his eyes. His heart hurt more than it had when he’d gotten the news that Obi-Wan’s ship wasn’t where it should be. This wasn’t just any old Padawan, this was Ahsoka, after all.

Anakin squared his chin and his jaw, grabbing her firmly but softly by her arms, grabbing her attention. 

“We’ll get him back,” He promised her. “He’s alive and well, I can feel that, but he is out of range,”

She looked at him then. 

“What are we going to do?” She asked, her voice faint, nothing like the Padawan he had left. “How are we going to get him back?”

This was a different kind of monster to how their missions usually went. Usually it was immediate action. Where Obi-Wan was Anakin would be, to rescue or to be in as deep bantha poodoo as him. Now, Obi-Wan was who knows where, for who knows how long, and who knows if he’s alright. Anakin shoved away the negative thing. It wouldn’t help.

Anakin gave her a cocky smirk he wasn’t feeling deeply. 

“We’ll save him like we always do,” He squeezed her arm fondly. “Together.”

Ahsoka gave him a watery look, before burying her face into his shoulder pad. 

“I’ve missed you...”

His hold on her tightened.

“I’ve missed you too, Snips,” He adjusted them so he could put his chin in between her lekku. 

They stayed that way for a long moment.

“Alright, enough whining,” Ahsoka said, pulling away and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Let’s go get Master Obi-Wan back!”

* * *

Obi-Wan had been captured before. Of course he had. They were at war with the world, with the Separatists, and occasionally against themselves. But when Obi-Wan had been taken, they had the whole backing of the Jedi Order, the Republic, and the Clones. They were the duo that the Galaxy had learned to trust in, without fail.

Now they were no longer Jedi. 

Sure, they were still a part of the Republic and the clones adored them - but the Jedi were the Generals. The ground command. They made the war happen. Or they made the war not happen.

The Words of Admiral Jameris came back to him.

_ “Suddenly, we’re supposed to trust our lives, our world, our galaxy into the hands of rank amateurs with no formal training in strategy or unit tactics who can tear people to pieces with just a word or command,” _

Never had Anakin agreed more than now as he and Ahsoka stood in front of the Council. 

How easy it had been to throw their most powerful weapons into the war - it had to be an easy choice for anyone to make. The Jedi were practically  _ made _ to protect the Republic and its citizens. Who cared if said citizens could protect themselves? Who cared if they wanted to have a say in how their world was protected?

Anakin nearly sneered as he felt his own thoughts align so with the pissy and out-of-sorts Admiral.

The Jedi and Anakin argued. Petty, useless squabbles. Anakin held his tongue in check solely for Padme. The Jedi sent out their drones to trace the path the craft had been plotted to take; Anakin was forced to wait for any morsel of information. But nothing else could be done. It was the same thing that would have been done if he were a Jedi, true, but somehow it felt... even more hollow. Even more empty. 

Their promises were no longer backed by action, it felt.

Ahsoka noticed too, if her bafflement in the Force meant anything.

Anakin clenched his fist, angry with himself for the predicament he now found himself in. Yet, he was the only one presenting himself. Ashoka was a Jedi-in-training, she was one of them. Obi-wan wasn’t here to defend himself the way he would want to be defended. So it was up to Anakin to keep a level head.

Obi-Wan would be so proud of how he kept his mouth  _ shut _ .

“So we will not know anything more for hours yet?” Anakin questioned, raising his voice just enough to be heard above the Council.

The man and woman and creatures around the room silenced themselves. None of them wanted to be the ones to give Anakin Skywalker the bad news. Plo Koon sighed, and straightened up. 

“We must wait for our probes to get back. In three, four hours at the most, Skywalker,”

_ Woefully inadequate, _ Anakin thought before forcing himself to smother the fire of ire building and building into a crescendo,  _ but understandable. _

So few things were adequate and efficient in war. It was frustrating.

It was more than frustrating. 

“And the reason I am grounded?”

There was no unease this time, the tranquility was back. All of them blank faced. 

“Because we have no leads as of yet, Skywalker,” Agen Kolar stated. “It would be as good as useless.”

_ Bantha shit, _ Anakin thought, yet, he put on his placid face. Put on his mask of nothing and Jedi and blank as he had been taught.

It unsettled the Council, he could tell. He cared even less than usual.

“I see,” Keeping himself in check, Anakin bowed his head. “Then can I at least assume if you hear anything I’ll be contacted? And you will let me know when I can take the  _ Resolute _ out?”

They agreed. Their voices wobbling between high and low. It was nearly pathetic. More emotion was being shown now than they had shown Obi-Wan and Anakin when they’d announced they were leaving. It was sickening, but Anakin refused to show his feelings. He’d be damned if he was the one showing all his cards this early into his and Obi-Wan’s exodus of the Order. 

Anakin and Ahsoka were then escorted from the room. Probably a relief for them, so they could talk behind his back and plan and plot how they would rescue Obi-Wan and his men... Without Anakin. 

It was like he was a Padawan again, except worse. 

As a Padawan, he at least had some clout in the Jedi circles.

Now it seemed the only person who respected him fully was the Chancellor, Obi-Wan, and Padme.

That drew Anakin up short.

Hesitating briefly, Anakin realized he was right. Without Obi-Wan, all he had was Padme and Palpatine. And of his two friends, one had not been informed of Obi-Wan’s captured. Anakin needed action and so he stepped off temple grounds and headed towards his speeder. Keeping his pace fast, so his brain couldn’t catch up with his feet.

It was time the Chancellor, his friend, was updated on the situation.

“That went well,” Ahsoka stated, just as dryly as she always did when met with the full stupidity and bureaucracy of the Council.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” Anakin found himself remarking, honestly calm. The thought of going to see the Chancellor was a comforting idea. “It’s why I try to get captured with Obi-Wan whenever possible,”

He sighed.

“I must be off, Ahsoka,”

Ahsoka hesitated in her goodbye, perhaps knowing him better than he knew himself. 

“You’ll let me know when you go to find him, when you have a lead, right?”

He looked at her then, and she looked... strong. Like she was trying to be strong. So often she had to be. On the battlefield, during political forays, in-between routes, on any Jedi business. She was considered an adult in every way that mattered. And so she was putting all the training into practice. On him.

She didn’t do it often, usually she knew she could be herself without the mask with Anakin, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“Cross my heart,” he promised, making the motion across his chest. “Stick a needle in my eye,”

Ahsoka grinned. 

“I’ll do it, too,” She threatened, some of that old playfulness back in her voice. “Don’t think I won’t.”

He held his hands up in surrender and she hesitated to go off to her lessons he knew she had (he had taken her out of them often enough), before throwing her arms around him and hugging him again. 

“You  **promised** . Don’t forget,”

Then she was gone. As if afraid of his answer, as if afraid of the reality that faced her, down the hall so quickly Anakin couldn’t even call out to her before she was gone. It made Anakin’s heart hurt, but he knew that this was how it had to be now.

Until he could prove to her that he was going to do right by her, for her, she wasn’t going to just blindly trust him anymore. And he deserved it. He truely, truely did.

More subdued than she was, Anakin turned in the opposite direction to the hanger.

It only took him less than a half an hour to be granted an audience with the man. He was always let right in unless there was another meeting taking place. And today it seemed the Chancellor had a clear schedule. How fortunate!

“Anakin,” The Chancellor greeted, rising from his seat in surprise. “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

It was immediate relief that filled Anakin then. The Force around Palpatine was... null and empty and a balm of nothing. But the Chancellor’s face spoke all his emotions for him. And he always looked so pleased to see the ex-Jedi. Anakin found himself smiling sadly at his friend. Someone was glad to see him. Someone would listen to him. Someone would actively be working to get Obi-Wan back besides him.

“Obi-Wan and his entire regimen are missing,”

The Chancellor became all business in a flash. That glad smile falling and the Chancellor being pulled over Palpatine’s face like a mask.

“When was this? How long ago? What do we know? Are the Jedi on this?”

_ The world was as it should be, _ Anakin though, in relief, as the man asked him question after question.

As he gave answers to the man, he never once questioned why the Chancellor occasionally smiled, soft but sharp, like he did on his platform among the Senate. He was probably just trying to exude confidence for Anakin, trying to calm him.

Feeling like a young boy again, Anakin let it affect him.

* * *

“Apprentice,” Sidious greeted Dooku’s hologram. “How is our dear friend, Kenobi?”

“As stubborn as Qui-Gon Jinn,” Dooku said in greeting, and he smiled as he lifted his face. “And nearly as gray.”

Sidious’ mouth quirked in a grin. 

“Oh? I thought that might be the case. It’s so hard to tell when a Jedi leaves the Order exactly what they’ll do. There have been so... few, that have lived to tell the tale, after all,”

Dooku shivered at the sound of his Master’s voice. He had no illusions that out of his once Jedi-brethren, he wasn’t the first to leave. He was just the first to successfully survive more than a week outside the protection of the Order. No Force-Sensitive-non-Jedi or Sith would knowingly attack a Jedi without Sidious’ blessing. The fact that the Jedi didn’t know this just made it all the sweeter when it happened.

“Agreed, Master,” Dooku said. “So few protections. Once he is returned... I do wonder if the Jedi will try to rehabilitate them both?”

Sidious snorted.

“Oh undoubtedly.”

Dooku’s smile turned into a sneer. 

“Obi-Wan is following the Force, did you know, Master?”

“Hmmm, is he,”

“Yes,” Dooku confirmed. “He told me that he follows the Force, not the Jedi, not the Sith. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“... Perhaps.”

But Dooku heard something that trickled down their bond. It wasn’t confirmation. It wasn’t denial. Honestly, it felt a rather lot like confusion. Like Sidious had put forth plans for one thing and had gotten an entirely different pot of stew than he’s expected with the ingredients he had used. 

Perhaps he wasn’t as all knowing as he had tried to seem. 

No big surprise there, but Dooku kept his revelations to himself.

“And have you managed to plant my... suggestions?” Sidious asked.

Dooku took a moment, a pause, before he answered. The Holocron would do more than just corrupt if given enough time. It was the insidious way of the Sith holocrons, after all. Their talks, though one-sided as they were, would not be quickly forgotten. It didn’t matter if right now Obi-Wan didn’t agree with him, as the months passed, he would understand the truth of his words. He wasn’t smug when he replied, but internally he was preening.

“Of course, Master,”

Because Dooku had always been a little bit of an overachiever. Pleasing his Master ended up pleasing him, and around and around it went. It just went to show how switching from Yoda, the epitome of light idiocy, to Sidious, as dark as they came, didn’t change him all that much fundamentally. 

The Dark wasn’t so different from the Light, after all, you just had to know yourself to choose your Master. And children don’t know themselves well enough, which made his choice of the Light not really a choice, but a privilege. Closer to slavery.

Sidious in answer, just smiled, before bidding him goodbye and retreating back to his Chancellor persona.

He had his very own Je-Yudai Agent, one Anakin Skywalker, to corrupt. His ex-Jedi, now Apprentice, could handle taming of the other force-sensitive, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even if it didn’t necessarily end with taming, but with just enough corruption, that taming could come at a later date.

Especially considering the younger Je-Yudai was in acute distress over his bondmates capture?

It was as if Life Day had come early.

* * *

With no desire to meditate after three disastrous visions, Obi-Wan was left with very little to do. There was a bookshelf but it was filled with Sith paraphernalia and that blasted, memory filled cookbook. Obi-Wan had already promised himself he wouldn’t touch them unless he was ready to carve his own eyes out. Without the fallback of meditation he found his temper was just as sharp as ever, and so lacking a victim to use it against.

All of that would have been fine and dandy if it wasn’t for the fucking Sith Holocron that Dooku left. As if that wasn't bad enough, Obi-Wan realized for the first time... he had started hearing... whispers. 

Looking out the window he’d heard someone call his name.

Standing up to go to the fresher, he heard the sound of chanting, illegible words and foreign phrases.

He only pieced together the whispers had come from the Holocron this morning.

It didn’t sound like the Force, with its whispery, whimsical firm voice. It was insistent, like a knock on a door. A door inside a room, inside another room, inside another room, five layers deep.

Sighing through his nose, Obi-Wan returned to the window to look out over the beautiful landscape. It was the only thing to look at, and Obi-Wan would have managed to be pissed at that, if the view wasn’t so magnificent.

To the east were mountains, of deep red and white snowcaps. To the south, a forest as thick as any. The birds of all shapes, sizes, colors, and species fluttered about in the foreground. Small mammals, with the occasional huge quadrupedal pranced in the meadows Obi-Wan could see from his room. It was quaint. 

The Living Force was still easy to access, because it was everywhere. So Obi-Wan let that flow over him, in a kind of faux-mediation as he watched the world pass him by. He didn’t sink low enough into himself where he was meditating, but it was a close thing.

**_Obi-Wan._ **

He startled.  _ What was that? _

**_Little Jedi..._ ** A voice crooned. **_Little light... so .... bright...._ **

Obi-Wan turned to the Holocron. It pulsed in that sickeningly purple-red way. Like it had when Dooku had touched it. It was  _ active _ .

Except it was not being touched now.

“Great. Now I’m hearing things,” Obi-Wan mused, faintly incredulous. “Well, not Force things. I know what the Force sounds like. And you are not it,”

**_So lost.... so far away.... from your temple.... from your bonded..... Do you hear.... my song?_ **

Staying silent, Obi-Wan took a step closer to the evil thing. It did nothing for the whispery quality.

**_Of course, you hear.... for you..... are blessed... to hear it all.... to see it all... to change it all...._ **

“Another Force-trick?” Obi-Wan muttered to himself, but was unable to take his eyes off the slowly spinning, hovering pyramid. “I’d appreciate a little silence, hmm?”

That was a lie, but it wasn’t a lie to say that he wished anyone else would be talking. Rather than the Sith Holocron.

**_Ohhh, little Jedi.... if only I could feel sad....for you.... I believe I would feel......_ ** **sorrow** **_...._ **

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Obi-Wan snarled, glaring at the offending pyramid. 

It was silent, but then it’s voice came back. A whisper on the wind. As if he’d said nothing.

**Guide** **_, they will call you, little Jedi... Just as they called me._ **

Obi-Wan flinched.  _ Guide? What was a guide? _

**_Do you accept?_ **

“You said  _ they _ will call me. You don’t usually get to pick your nicknames,” Obi-Wan replied, sarcastically. “Do I have a choice?”

It responded to him.

**.... No.... So.... Few of us..... Ever have a real choice....**

And Obi-Wan swore he heard the faintest traces of amusement. As if it was laughing at him. 

“Well... thanks, ever much for the warning,”

The voice didn’t apparently understand sarcasm.

**You’re welcome little Jedi... I hope you take it better than I did.....**

Obi-Wan flinched at the ominous words. 

**Then again... to choose to change... would have been.... A nice offer....**

Then, with no more words exchanged, the Sith Pyramid went back to quiet, back to sleep, back to nothing - Obi-Wan would swear it was just a fevered dream that some mystical voice would tell him his destiny. Except he was a awake.

_ Guide...  _ He thought, tired. _ What the fuck was a Guide? _

Neither the voice of the Holocron nor the Force answered him.

He was too tired and worn to feel betrayed.

* * *

Obi-Wan made a mental note to scour the library if he returned to the Temple. _When_ he returned to the Temple.

* * *

 

“A ship does not just disappear into thin air,” Anakin snarled for what felt like the fourth time. 

“It really doesn’t, Masters of the Council,” Rex replied. “Master Kenobi is one of the most careful Generals in the army,”

The Council Chamber was unusually noisy as everyone theorized and talked over each other, trying to figure out where the hell Obi-Wan could have been nabbed. The ones who were focused exclusively on Anakin and Rex were Yoda, Depa, and Kit Fisto.

“Find him, we will,” Yoda stated confidently. “Matter of time, it is,”

“Not soon enough,” Anakin muttered under his breath.

It had been hours, they'd scrambled droids to the last known location of Obi-Wan’s ship. The closest ships were still thirty minutes away, and they knew nothing from the drone ships that were scouting the area. It was as if they just disappeared. No debris, no shattered asteroids, no sign of a fight or even a drip of oil.

They were just gone.

That was, as near as Anakin could remember through his exhausted brain, only barely three days ago. 

And they had found nothing, still.

**_:Where are you Obi-Wan,_ ** : Anakin asked, as he stared, unblinking at the starchart before him, that displayed their location and Obi-Wan’s last before his beacon had been turned off. 

He could still feel his Master in the Force - at such a distance, such was the power of their bond - he was alive, but anything else could have happened to him. Maimed. Hurt. Unconscious. Anakin’s fingers flexed unconsciously as his mind went wild with accusation and worst-case-scenarios. The words of Palpatine, just yesterday, came to him, and settled him.

“Master Kenobi is the most stubborn, most intelligent, most irritating man I know, Anakin,” He had said with a smile. “There is absolutely no way he’s not going to come back to us, unharmed and without blemish,”

The older man’s words had soothed him and made him chuckle when all he had wanted to do was sit and cry, but he was a little surprised by the honesty of Palpatine as he spoke of Obi-Wan. It was such a faith filled little... speech, that Anakin had almost imagined a Jedi saying it.

Or a friend.

Which was strange and odd, but it had comforted Anakin to have another who would fight for Obi-Wan.

He’d had no idea Palpatine had cared so much for his Master!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna go ahead and say now - don't expect any updates in April. It is our families 'birthday' month as well as being kind of a hectic time at work/school. So. Blah.  
> Thanks for the read! Hope you enjoyed! Drop me a line in the comments and I'll for sure get back to ya!


	15. Go on Now Go, Walk Out That Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dooku finally manages to get under Obi-Wan's skin, and receives some interesting marching orders.  
> Anakin and Ahsoka are given the means to find Obi-Wan... literally.  
> And Mace... well, Mace is just having a No Good Very Bad Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longness of the wait! I have been stupid busy. Finals and then every SINGLE WEEKEND I have been swamped. Ugh. Haven't had the time to review or read this over.  
> :(  
> BUT. I got this out, so I am happy about that. Hope you guys enjoy! As always thanks to my beta, picavengers13!

Dooku entered to find Obi-Wan sitting on the farthest couch from the Sith Holocron. He paused. The room looked... Off? Had Obi-Wan - He _had._ Dooku smiled as he realized that Obi-Wan had pushed the couch to the very far corner, the farthest place in all of the room. So the Sith Holocron **was** messing with his light-sided captive. Good to know.

“Good afternoon, Master Kenobi,” Dooku called to him.

Obi-Wan ignored him as he read. The datapad was the only one not Sith-inclined, beside the cookbook, but it did have some rather radical ideas.

_Ah, so that’s how today was going to be._

Chuckling, Dooku snapped his fingers for the droids to bring in the food. As the table was being set, Dooku decided to watch Obi-Wan until the man couldn’t stand it any longer.

There were bags under the younger man’s eyes. His robes were rumpled, even though Dooku provided extra, even in a color he liked, and he had ample opportunity to shower. He seemed engrossed in his book, but Dooku knew better. Knew the way Jedi held themselves when they expected an attack.

Not that Obi-Wan had relaxed an iota the entire time he’d been here... still.

“Are you going to spend my entire visit over there?” Dooku asked, curious.

Obi-Wan snorted. “That was the plan,”

Dooku drummed his fingers on the tabletop, cocking his head as he thought. He knew Obi-Wan could be stubborn, tenacious, and as closed off as any Jedi - but really. He hadn’t touched him, only kidnapped him to talk. He thought he deserved a little bit of deference from the ex-Jedi.

As a Sith, he had no problems ordering Obi-Wan to comply.

“Join me,”

Obi-Wan’s shoulders stiffened, and he looked up from his reading.

Dooku raised a single eyebrow, and pushed back a chair across from him with the Force.

A challenge and an order.

Mouth a stiff line, eyes blazing with a new kind of fire, Obi-Wan powered down his datapad. Throwing it to the newly vacant spot on the couch, Obi-Wan did as the Count demanded. Dismissive but obedient. A flash of pleasure jolted down Dooku’s spine. Having power over powerful creatures was addictive, he had long ago decided.

“Good afternoon,” He repeated, this time expecting a response.

Obi-Wan echoed the greeting through gritted teeth.

“I see you’ve done a little... redecorating,” Dooku observed dryly.

“Yes,”

Short, curt, and completely unlike Obi-Wan. Dooku smiled. It seemed captivity was actually beginning to affect the man. And it had only been three days. Dooku thought for sure it would take longer - he was a Jedi Master, after all, and adept at navigating such situations. The Sith Holocron was doing more damage than Dooku could ever dream of.

“Is it speaking to you?” Dooku asked, jerking his chin towards the Sith artifact.

Obi-Wan’s eyes snapped to his. “ _If it is_?” He gritted through his teeth.

“Want to share?”

Dooku was asking simply to prickle and prod, and wasn’t actually expecting an answer. But apparently what the Sith holocron had been whispering was bothering Obi-Wan, because the man turned to Dooku and asked seriously, if not with a small amount of panic:

“Pray do you know what in the seven moons of Gaiga a Guide is?”

Dooku was struck speechless.

 _A... Guide?_ He narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if this was some kind of trick, or a way to distract him, but Obi-Wan was staring at him as if he might actually have an answer. Seeing as he was a Sith, he should. Being a once-Jedi-Master was also in his repertoire. It was a wound to his pride that he didn’t know.

“The definition is one who leads or who shows the way,” Dooku answered, in a roundabout way. “If the holocron named you such... well, I don’t imagine you’ll like what it means anymore than if the Force itself told you,”

Already ideas ran rampant through the Sith’s head.

Obi-Wan’s nostrils flared and he slumped into his chair.

“I was afraid of that,” He muttered to himself, before leaning forward and beginning to pick at his food.

Dooku watched him carefully.

The holocron was powerful and adept at getting under even the best Jedi shielding. Dooku should know, Sidious had trapped him in a room with it for two months - but this was different. Obi-Wan was completely Jedi. In so much as he wasn’t, really, but he wasn’t seeking the darkside.

At least. Dooku hadn’t _thought_ he was.

There was also the Force to consider in all of this... Perhaps it wasn’t being as kind to Obi-Wan as it could be. The Force was a fickle master, and all Force-Sensitive trained within it, knew that. For some, the Force could be particularly cruel. Dooku wouldn’t put it past the Force to be so enmeshed within Obi-Wan to push him farther than he could stand. To push and push and push - until Obi-Wan broke.

He tried to imagine what else could make Obi-Wan so unstable.

The only thing he could imagine was...

Dooku stiffened, watching Obi-Wan with new eyes. He seemed unbalanced, like any Force-Sensitive cut from the Force, or that had spent a long time away from the Force. Three days wasn’t enough time to do that... But a week was. If Obi-Wan had been having trouble within the Force since he had left the Order, then around now would be the time for that to show.

“How long has it been since you’ve truly meditated?” Dooku asked.

It wasn’t the answer he was waiting for, it was the reaction. And Obi-Wan was exhausted enough that he responded beautifully.

Stiffening, eyes flashing, he turned to Dooku and glared at him.

“Fair enough,” Dooku said, holding his hands up; leaving it for now.

It was clear that Obi-Wan hadn’t interacted with the Force for some time. Whether that was because he was afraid of what he had seen in a vision, or because of the stress of leaving the Order, or because of nothing more than the ex-Jedi’s stubbornness; it was clear that Obi-Wan was falling through the cracks within himself.

And Dooku didn’t even have to push.

* * *

After Dooku had explained Obi-Wan’s new behavior and gave a status report on everything he had been discussing with the man, Sidious gave his orders.

Orders that Dooku was not expecting.

Orders that came after a long silence, filled with contemplation and smirks.

“You want me to... let him go?” Dooku asked, flabbergasted, mouth damn near falling open in a very uncouth display of disbelief.

“Yes,” Sidious said, shortly.

Dooku wanted to argue more, wanted to snarl that he was finally getting somewhere with the ex-Jedi, but he saw something in his Master’s eyes. A... delightful smile that he rarely wore. Like he was getting everything he ever wanted and more. His plans coming to fruition like fine wine aged.

“I still have three weeks planned  - “

“Are you questioning me?”

The darkness around Dooku closed in. Like his master’s fist on his windpipe. It was a warning, though, nothing more than a presence. A warning. Dooku heeded that warning.

“Understood. It will be done,” Dooku answered obediently, before asking. “May I... know the reason for this change in plans?”

That pressure on his throat released.

“The Force is whispering of a change,” Sidious revealed, with a dark smile. “Both in the Dark and in the Light. A vergence is coming. A... a powerful separation,”

Dooku wasn’t sure what to think of that.

“Anakin will be coming to retrieve his Master within the next twelve standard hours. Do nothing to stop him from succeeding,”

Sidious disconnected.

Dooku, much as he disliked the child Skywalker, obeyed his Master above all else. There were plans and plots in the works that he had no ideas about. Turning away he began to inform his droids to turn off their security protocols. The Republic was coming, and they were letting them in through the front door.

Then again, of course they were. The back-door lead to a little project he knew the Republic would love to get their hands on. And about twelve of the most ruthless mercenaries in the galaxy.

* * *

The coordinates come in a blip of static. With a simple message attached.

**[KENOBI. LOCATION. SAFE. NO CASUALTIES. PICKUP REQUESTED.]**

Which would have been fine and dandy except the coordinates lead them right to Dooku’s base of operations and _home_. Right in the heart of separatists territory. It would be an act of war, or at the very least an aggressive movement, but Anakin didn’t care one iota. They had a lead on Obi-Wan for the first time in days.

Since he was no longer associated with the Jedi, it was up to him to save his partner in crime. And he wasn’t going to wait a second longer or leave Obi-Wan in Dooku’s grip for one moment longer than necessary.

“Rex, how soon can you have the _Resolution_ ready?”

“General, we’ve been ready all day,”

Anakin smiled, sharky and toothy, and patted the man on his shoulder.

“Then let’s get going,”

It was a ten hour flight and he was looking to start it as soon as possible.

Neither of them mentioned telling the Council. After all, wasn’t it better to ask forgiveness than permission?

He quickly sent off a private little thank you to Padme for talking him off the ledge days before. Perhaps playing the political game was better after all...

_Nah._

There was one more thing to do... he yanked his communicator up and send a brief message.

“Snips, meet us in hanger 14,”

* * *

Obi-wan stared at the count.

“You are... letting me go?”

“I am,”

It seemed so stupid. So impossible. Clearly a trap. Yet, the Force was oddly silent on the front of an imminent attack or subterfuge.  It was... hopeful with a tinge of warning, but the warning wasn’t anything... bad. It was just a warning. He had gotten better and better at sensing the subtle changes of the Force in his older age. He needed to with how cut off he was.

“Why?”

Dooku smiled. Obi-Wan wondered if it had ever been a nice smile. It must have, when he was a Jedi.

“Kenobi, Kenobi, Kenobi,” he tsked. “That’s for me to know, and you to never find out,”

 _Yeah right_ , Obi-Wan thought at the challenge in his words. He would not be giving in that quickly. He would leave as Dooku wanted him, but not forget. He’d been trapped in near isolation for four days - he wouldn’t forget this so easily.

But the Republic might... Hell, if Dooku swung this right - he could endear himself to the Republic easily. What did it matter that he had been the one to take Obi-Wan and his ship? What did it matter at all, other than he had given him back? The Republic would whisper, and argue, and fret, and worry.

Dooku was setting them up.

Obi-Wan just wasn’t sure how.

* * *

Anakin should have realized. Really. However, who would be able to guess what was happening here? The planetary defenses had been lowered. He had been directed to the Count’s castle. Given a fraggin’ parking space for crying out loud!

This was the strangest rescue mission to date, Anakin swore. As he tramped in, Anakin was once again at a loss for words. He had stormed Dooku’s castle, metaphorically breathing fire, only to find Obi-Wan and the Count sitting and having **tea**. TEA! Betrayed for tea! He pulled up short and a clone trooper nearly ran into him. Ahsoka next to him allowed her mouth to drop.

For all of five seconds, he could only stare as Obi-Wan rose and Dooku sat, lazy and smug in his chair.

“Knight Skywalker, Padawan Tano, we’ve been waiting for you,”

He felt his eye twitch. But he was... trying to get better about his anger and his impulsiveness - so he took a breath and instead of brandishing his lightsaber, he used his words, gritted through his teeth and in a hiss, but it was still progress.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Obi-Wan, with a brow raised, was clearly impressed Anakin had managed to still his bloodlust. Ahsoka’s amazement was felt hardily through their bond.

“We were just having tea, would you and your men like some?” Dooku asked, all relaxed, like Anakin wasn’t about three seconds from ripping him a new one. Or Ahsoka was a moment away from tearing his face off. With her teeth.

Eyes narrowed, Anakin ignored Dooku and turned to Obi-Wan. “Are you alright? Hurt?”

“I’m, surprisingly, fine,” Obi-Wan assured him. An exhausted pulse of fondness. “Dooku has been... a decent jailor.”

 _:A jailer nonetheless_ ,: Ahsoka shared through their bond, barely keeping herself contained.

Dooku drawled arrogantly. “Your words are too kind,” And then he rose, just to turn his back to them all. “If you wouldn’t mind leaving the way you came? All the security measures have been disabled. Your troops, General, will have been released by now. Is it safe to assume you will be off my planet before nightfall?”

Anakin was too flabbergasted to rightly respond to that. Thankfully, Obi-Wan had had to deal with this strange docile behavior from the Count.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan assured, raising his wrists. “And the Suppressors?”

“Once you leave this room they will deactivate.”

“Lovely,” Obi-Wan stated.

Dooku said, backs till turned. “Remember, would you Obi-Wan? You are nothing but a weapon. Disposable. Breakable. Easily replaced. The war has made your life nearly worthless. Worth as of much as that of a clones - and we both know how republic citizens thinks of clone lives.”

Before any of them could respond he left.

“What in the nine hells just happened, Master Obi-Wan?” Ahsoka said, being echoed by the clones in the Force behind her.

“I have no clue.” Anakin said, before turning to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan sighed, “No, I don’t have a damn clue, either, Anakin. Not a one.”

With about as much fanfare as the Count had displayed, Obi-Wan walked out the way Anakin had come barging in. The sound of clinking, falling metal, affirming the cuffs deactivation. Sharing a baffled look with his troopers and Ahsoka, Anakin hesitantly called a... retreat - was that even the right word? - taking up the rear as his soldiers filed past him.

They left Dooku’s throne-room without blood, or violence, and feeling unsettled.

Sure enough, as they exited the huge building, Obi-Wan had a hand on his Commander’s shoulder talking about their capture, their treatment, and - less bafflingly - if they wanted to destroy a few droids before they left. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, but their droid guards went down in flashes of sparks, no fight within them, no defense, just standing there and taking it.

It felt hollow...

“Let’s get out of here.” Obi-Wan ordered everyone, leading back to their ships. “Before he changes his mind.”

Ahsoka followed him closely.

Anakin followed, slowly, watching everything from a distance. Still uncertain. He turned back, looking up and caught the Count in his window, looking down at their retreating forms. From this distance Anakin couldn’t make out facial expressions and... he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

Echoing Obi-Wan, feeling chilled, he thought, _let's get out of here._

Ahsoka and Anakin kept close to their Master and friend. Anakin wanted to talk, to interrogate, but Obi-Wan needed to assure himself that his troops were fine. Seeing a constant loop of them being safe but in cells had done a number on him, and he needed to make sure they were all alive and well. He saw to the Clones first. Greeting each and every squad and making sure they were all there. He kept a mental tally. Anakin kept a physical tally on his wrist-unit. It took almost an hour, but then he moved onto the maintenance crews. Then the bottom level.

Last was his deck-crew.

“Sir,” Oolas greeted, looking haggard but glad to see his General. He gave the ex-Jedi a warm embrace.

“I’m glad to see you all well,” Obi-Wan greeted them, pulling away with a weary smile. “I was able to watch you all, but could do nothing for your plight,”

“Sir,” Gargin said. “We understand. We’re just glad you’re alright,”

Keith and Endo yelped when they saw him and both wrapped him up in a sandwich of warm content pleasure in the Force, as well as a very physical hug.

“You’re alright General!”

“Yes, yes,” Obi-Wan said, his lips twitching friendly. “I’m just fine.”

Anakin was the only one who realized it was a lie.

* * *

Dooku watched the ships leave. He had his planetary defenses down, but that did not mean he was defenseless. He was the face of the Separatists. If the ex-Jedi had not left, he would have made them. And then he would have had footage of the ‘illegal’ occupation the Republic was trying to pass. It only took four hours after that for the first of his mercenaries arrive and he pushed the Jedi from his mind.

For now.

“Moralo,” Dooku greeted without smiling. “And who is this?”

 

* * *

It wasn’t the first time Mace had wished that Obi-Wan had waited another few months to grow some kind of backbone and decide to leave the Order when they had needed him for such an important Operation. Nor would it be the last.

He dodged a blast from the wall of the stupid cube he was stuck in and thought to himself how much he wished he wasn’t _technically_ dead right now. There was no Jedi backup he could call without outting himself. And he plain old refused to out himself over something as simple as a battle inside an impossibly weird cube of death. Even if it was the most singularly unique thing to ever happen to him.

Still. Wishes are wishes.

And blaster bolts are blaster bolts.

Gritting his teeth, Mace ignored all thoughts except how to get out of this alive. And in the group that would be kidnapping the Chancellor. Though if a thought or two of punching Obi-Wan and Anakin in the face surfaced, who was there to judge him?

Another bolt struck right by his head, the Force around him crying out in warning - warning - warning - and he had no other choice but to fight for his life.

This could have been Obi-Wan, he thought to himself guiltily. Only partially so.

Because it wasn’t Obi-Wan, it was him.


	16. How They Did Us Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin gets answers. Obi-Wan gets answers.  
> Neither of those answers were, perhaps, what either of them wanted to admit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, probably monthly updates is what you can expect. This last month has been absolute insanity, and I haven't had a lot of time to write or to plot and plan - blah. This is also a smaller, shorter chapter, but I think it's probably one that will move the plot forward the most out of all of them.   
> Thanks or sticking with it though! :)

“Spill,” Anakin told Obi-Wan as soon as they were away from his troops and Ahsoka.

Which was not an easy feat. Ahsoka trailed them like a puppy, feeling how unstable Obi-Wan was in the Force. The only way Anakin had gotten rid of her was by telling her he was taking Obi-Wan to the medic. The medic that was still trying to nail Ahsoka down so she could have a physical that was long, long overdue. 

She had, understandable, disappeared with Rex, Red Hat, and Bill.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were in the med-bay, having been sequestered there by the troop-medic, and Obi-Wan, for his pleasant stay at the Sith’s was looking a little peaky. Even after the medic had OK’ed Obi-Wan, Anakin had made him sit and explain himself before allowing them to leave.

Begrudgingly, Obi-Wan had spilled his guts. 

It said something that Obi-Wan didn’t even hesitate to begin. It was not something Anakin wanted to dwell upon at the moment. Anakin could only sit and listen as Obi-Wan told it all. Spoken nearly dispassionately about the turn of events after he had left. He spoke of his capture, the Force and what it had told him to do. How Dooku would deliver food, how he would sit and be forced to listen to the Count just natter on and on. Then he spoke about Dooku just letting him go.

Yet, Anakin knew he was withholding something.

Obi-Wan was a master manipulator, it was no small feat to be titled the Negotiator, but Anakin knew his tells. The small twitches of his face, the way his eyes widened, the clenched of only his last two fingers. And Obi-Wan was so unanimated, his hands folded together, not thrown every which way as he talked.

“You’re telling me... Dooku captured you simply because he wanted to run his mouth?” 

Anakin had sat and listened, very patiently mind you, and now he had to open his own mouth in disbelief.

“Yes, Anakin,” Obi-Wan sighed, rubbing his chilled arm. “Believe me, three days with him made that abundantly clear. He said he wanted me out of the way for... something he had planned, but for all he boasted - he never mentioned what,”

He rubbed between his eyes tiredly.

Anakin could sympathize. Dooku’s plan was an absolute mystery. Who the hell kidnapped a ex-Jedi, tried to corrupt them for such a small miniscule amount of time, and then let them go? What was he hiding? What was he doing?

“Do you think this has something to do with... Mace’s death?” Anakin asked.

“Oh undoubtedly,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “Why though... I have no idea,”

“Talk it out with me,”

Obi-Wan shot him a look. The information was classified to the Council and Chancellor only, and talking about it was frowned upon. Not like either of them were about to stop. Anakin just crossed his arms and hip-checked the table. With a puffy sigh, Obi-Wan allowed himself to be persuaded.

“We know the Chancellor is the target of the newest separatist plot,” He said. “We also know that Dooku is in charge of said war we are currently in,” 

_ Allegedly _ , Anakin thought to himself, mimicking Padme in his mind.

“What is yet to be discovered is the actual plot to kidnap or kill the Chancellor. And furthermore, what is escaping me at this current moment is the ‘why’, of it all. What purpose does the kidnapping and letting go of my men accomplish? Why me? Why specifically now?”

Obi-Wan felt ragged, like he was splintering, through their bond. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the coiffed frontward part, and Anakin frowned at him, unsure of what to say. What could he say?

He certainly didn’t have any answers. The Chancellor was in danger, Mace had been sent undercover to find out what exactly, so it was only possible that that was it. The Jedi were keeping secrets from the public. Dooku was running some weird side-gamut on them. Nothing made sense anymore.

“What exactly did Dooku talk about?” Anakin didn’t  **want** to know, he needed to know.

“For the most part he left me alone but when he wanted my company... it was to argue semantics of the Code and the Order. Occasionally, we talked of Qui-Gon. A few times he came to boast about how he was winning the war. Often enough, I believe he just wanted to force his company upon me,”

Anakin winced,  _ oh that would not be fun. _ Dooku was as good as a Sith. It was no secret that he disapproved of the way the Order as a whole had gone, in similar form to how Obi-Wan and he had left. Perhaps a little less flashy, since most Jedi were not in the Jedi’s eye like the The Team. Nobody leaving any organization was going to be half as dramatic and ridiculously flashy as their leading the Order was. 

Still.

“You think the old coot was lonely?”

Obi-Wan snorted a laugh, looking at Anakin with genuinely amused eyes. “Oh, I’m sure that is the reason he misappropriated his resources to  _ kidnap me for three days _ ,”

He still was haggard and fraying, but he was genuine in his amusement and that was enough for Anakin.

And then that was gone as he became serious again.

“I think he’s gone farther down the path to the Dark Side, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, slumping. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find that he is...”

He didn’t speak it aloud. :A sith,:

Anakin stiffened. It was one thing to claim that Dooku was a dark side users, another thing entirely to label him a Sith.  So far, Dooku had just been an asshole. Granted, a kidnapping murdering asshole, but just an asshole to Obi-Wan these past three days. The Jedi kept a lot of Sith lore under wraps, but what they did say were horror stories. 

Sith were known for two things: death and seduction. Specifically their actions in trying to seduce Jedi into falling. Fallen was a term thrown around in whispers and with grimaces and horror in the Force, always the boogie man, even though Obi-Wan had killed a Sith, it was considered a worse death to Fall. What Anakin understood of Falling, was that it is more mental less than physical, which, for someone who was all action, was terrifying. Seduced was the perfect word because it encompassed it all: emotions, falling, having your world ripped to pieces, following a breadcrumb trail for a sip of power; it was as easy as that, and just as hard. 

It was a mindfuck.

And that was clearly Dooku’s goal. 

Though, he had apparently done an awful job if Obi-Wan was only showing contempt and disgust for what had happened on Serenno. He wasn’t changed, just tired and exhausted, and probably pissed. No. Most definitely pissed.

**_:I’m sorry,_ ** : He pushed over the bond.

Obi-Wan melted into his seat. Shoulders slumping.

“Not your fault, Anakin,” 

Anakin’s fists clenched. Like hell it wasn’t. If he had been with Obi-Wan then they could have fought, escaped. If he had been with Obi-Wan, perhaps the outcome would have been better. They would have been together. They would have fought and escaped. They would have won, like they always did  -

“Stop,” Obi-Wan ordered, his hand coming down hard on Anakin’s left forearm. Startling him. “You coming along would not have changed anything. You know that,”

The younger man deflated.

“I do,” 

Of course he did, but he couldn’t help but beat himself up. 

‘If only’s ran through his head. He knew it was useless and less than helpful, but he couldn’t stop his mind from running wild. 

Obi-Wan sighed, settling into the chair further.

“I know, Anakin, it doesn’t help, though. Knowing and doing,” Obi-Wan mused, kindly. Anakin felt bad that he was the one being comforted after Obi-Wan had just went through being captured by a Sith. 

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan,” Anakin still said.

He felt Obi-wan’s frustration at him not letting it go, but it wasn’t angry. It wasn't amused, either, but it wasn’t angry. Just... flat. Like he’d been feeling too much and couldn’t handle feeling anymore without exploding.

Time with Dooku had really done a number on him.

So, Anakin did what Anakin did not do best. He let it lie, and scooched closer to Obi-Wan’s warmth, reminding him of the here and now and the real world. Bare arm to bare arm, sharing warmth, and letting the world pass them by.

Obi-Wan didn’t want to admit just how calming that was, nor would he anytime soon as Anakin and he shared emotions, just flashes of color, and brightness across their eyelids. The closeness helped the flickers of thoughts, emotions, to better translate. Not that Obi-Wan nor Anakin needed the help, but it was nice all the same.

They stayed that way for a long time.

Anakin watched Obi-Wan the entire time. Obi-Wan kept his eyes closed, breathing deeply, yet so far away from actually meditating it was... odd. Obi-Wan took his meditation serious. Cocking his head, Anakin realized just how unsettled and frayed Obi-Wan felt. And how put together he still felt, how strong, like a rock. Like Anakin’s rock.

All he’d gone through... and he was still just here with Anakin.

But there was something going on. Something he wasn’t sharing. Anakin had, to date, never gotten Obi-Wan to spill anything, but then again, they’d mostly kept to themselves. That needed to change. No matter if it was the absolute worst time for it... it felt like the right time.

Anakin made up his mind then.

Honesty was supposed to be their policy between themselves now, wasn’t it?

“My mom is dead,” Anakin said, after the lengthy silence filled the room.

Obi-Wan jerked. Eyes opening wide in a shocked blink as he looked over to Anakin. 

“What?”

“My mom. Back on Tatooine,” Anakin said, jaw clenching. Hands fisting on his knees. “She was killed by a raiding party of Tusken Raiders. I... I knew something was wrong. My visions were getting... more frequent and more intense, so I left and went to her, but I was too late,”

This close, their Force presence twisted around each other. Anakin’s harsh, wielded like a knife, rusty and swinging. Grief stricken, bereft and sad and snarling. Biting and angry, it was like a twist of a tornadoes twister, a gale of wind. It bit into Obi-Wan’s own. 

Breathing in once, and the letting it out, Obi-Wan allowed himself to bask in such  _ ashamed  _ emotion.

“I was... I was angry. So, so angry, Obi-Wan,” Anakin said. 

He was staring out past them both, past the ship, into a memory.

The elder’s hand rose of its own accord, landing softly, non-threatenly on his arm. Anakin took it for the comfort it was and did not shrug it off, or perhaps he was too lost in memory to. The younger man continued. Like it was being dragged out of his chest. Some of the words catching in his throat. Like he wanted to stop every single time he spoke, but pushed through it.

“I’d never felt anger like that before. Like... the world was fire, and my heart was the wood, and it had all just burst into flames. I was ashamed. I was angry. I had failed her. By  **_minutes_ ** . She died in my arms, and I could do nothing for her... Nothing except what I did next,”

_ ‘Oh, Anakin,’ _ Obi-Wan thought. Knowing better than to open his mouth.

He could do nothing for the past, and instead linked their fingers, trying to ground Anakin in the here and now.

This had festered for a long time, he could see. This... secret, this black spot on his soul. Obi-Wan’s heart dropped as he realized what this was. A confession. A confession that Obi-Wan wasn’t ready for. Because if it was just his mother’s death, then surely he would have said  _ something  _ years ago. Obi-Wan, even as a Jedi, had not been that callous to his apprentice...

_ Had he? _

Obi-Wan was ashamed to say, he honestly didn’t know. But then it was too late, because Anakin was still talking. And every word out of his mouth was another nail in his coffin.

“I killed them,” 

The admission made Obi-Wan shut his eyes tight. The grip on his once-Padawan tightened.

_ Oh, Anakin. _

“All of them,” Anakin continued. “I didn’t come back to myself until afterwards, covered in blood and staring at the corpses of those surrounding me,” 

He didn’t smile. No. What came to his face then was more of a grimace. 

“I... I didn’t know what to do. So I just... I pretended it never happened. I just pushed it as far into the back in my mind as far I could and tried to forget. Forget about the dark side I had tasted. Forget and go back to being a good Jedi. But then... but then Geonosis happened. And Padme and I got married. Then the war began. Then it  _ really _ began. There was no time to breath, it was drowning in an entirely new way, and before, that was a  **good thing** ,” 

Obi-Wan huffed a tired sigh that was nearly a choked sob.

“This happened  **before** Genosis?” 

The air catching in his throat as he stared at Anakin’s profile. His stiff, too stiff profile. Anakin nodded, not looking at him.

“After that, there was no down time to even contemplate my own... sins, and I just - I just kept working my ass off to try and atone for what I had done. If I was too tired to think, then I was too tired to think about what I’d done. And if I was, then I wouldn’t remember,”

_ Fuck. Kriff.  _ Out of everything Obi-Wan had ever expected Anakin to reveal, there was no way he could ever expect a secret of this magnitude to be exposed. Like a wormy, crawly grub from under a rock Obi-Wan wanted to face it like he wanted to face his own darkness.

Some Jedi part of Obi-Wan broke then. Some part that still held true to everything he’d learned, everything he’d taken into his heart and held dear. What he had once been; shattered. In it’s place stood something broken but stronger. This was the Jedi legacy. Broken padawans that grew into broken Jedi Knights, that grew into distant, cold Jedi Masters.

_ Dooku was right. _

Before, back when he’d been the poster-child of the Jedi, Obi-Wan would have turned to the Jedi Masters, the Council, ask for help, for guidance - but that was before. Before he would have trusted Anakin blindly, because it was unthinkable that he could fall so far. Before. Before. Before.

This was now.

Where before his first thought was to tell the Council, now it was:  _ How do I protect him? _

He had already broke the cycle by leaving the Order. By dragging Anakin with him. And just as Anakin had trusted him with the very deepest, blackest part of him - he knew in an attempt to get him to open up - Obi-Wan decided to hell with it. And returned the favor.

“Everyone always used to tell me that killing a Sith was a great honor,” Obi-Wan said, catching Anakin off guard.. “They used to tell me that killing the Sith meant I was destined for great things. That taking on Darkness meant I was made to defeat Darkness,”

Obi-Wan very rarely talked about the decade he spent with Qui-Gon, and very rarely did he mention the last few months of his apprenticeship. So Anakin was quickly drawn in. Turning to face Obi-Wan. He’d thought his Master would turn on him, yell, scream. This... This was a surprise. Obi-Wan couldn’t have shocked him more.

“For all the Jedi boast control of their emotions, I don’t think I’d ever seen my fellow Jedi more proud of any Jedi accomplishment... I surely didn’t consider it a win. The Sith was dead, but my Master was too. I didn’t consider it anything special. It was survival. That time, I won, and the Sith lost - but not because i was better, or because he was tired, but because I was angry, too, Anakin,”

Their eyes met and Anakin knew. Obi-Wan knew. 

“You defeated him using the dark side.” Anakin said. Not a question. A statement. 

Obi-Wan nodded. “I told the Master’s at the time, but they told me that my honesty, my modesty, my head on my shoulders was good and I had nothing to worry about. They told me it happened, but the thing to focus on was that it wouldn’t happen again. To focus on strengthening who I was in the light, not in the Dark. I hadn’t gone far enough to Fall, they’d said, but I had to keep vigilant and aware.”

He breathed hard through his nose.

“I was not adapt at sussing out lies from trained Force users, then, but even I could tell they were worried about me. And as I began to train you, as I disobeyed their more direct orders, I knew they were going to continue watching me until I made a mistake,”

“Did you?”

“Hmm?’

“Did you make a mistake?”

Obi-Wan was silent. Wondering when everything had become so twisted. 

“No,” He finally said. “I was the model Jedi. I did nothing that would garner their wrath or their questions... well, not until you were old enough to start causing trouble, anyway,”

They both smiled, but Obi-Wan’s was the first to fall.

“I get it,” He told Anakin. Which startled the younger man, “If I had been in your place... I don’t know if I would have been so quick to trust Qui-Gon not to send me straight to the Council. I don’t know if I would have trusted me, back then, either. I... I was very focused on not Falling myself, back then, that I doubt I would have been a good confidant,”

It was as if that was exactly what Anakin wanted to hear, because Obi-Wan soon had his arms full of too large body, gangly limbs and a sniffling nose. It had been a long, long time since Anakin had felt comfortable enough, safe enough, to throw himself at Obi-Wan’s mercy and soothing lap. Not since he’d been younger, smaller, more easily held.

It was not such a burden to hold him as he shoved his face into Obi-Wan collar and cried.

“I was really fucking terrified that I had lost you,” 

Obi-Wan clutching him tight.

“I know, Anakin,” He murmured. “I know,”

Because he had been terrified too. Obi-wan found he didn’t have any tears to give. He’d cried his so long ago, it seemed a lifetime to remember those old hurts, those old regrets, those old... sins.

They’d both touched darkness and managed to turn back. Without each other. But, they had each other now, and no longer would they have to reach for darkness, for power, but for each other. Hesitating only a moment, Obi-Wan pet down Anakin’s downy soft hair, and whispered soothing words to him.

He knew, as any Master knew, that Anakin had been hoping to give him comfort but as these things often happened; the opposite seemed to be true. It was Obi-Wan giving the comfort, but he didn’t mind. He was older. He was wiser. And Anakin had needed him before, when he had not been around, this was the least he could do.

His arms tightened around the body in his lap.

It wasn’t the least he could do. It was the  **only** thing he could do.

Obi-Wan wasn’t letting Anakin go through anything like that ever again. At least, not alone.


	17. They Did Us Wrong?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Anakin finally make it back planetside. A reporter catches a high-price holo. Ahsoka returns to the temple.  
> And then finally, Obi-Wan and Anakin are given some time to recuperate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little short but I didn't realize I haven't updated IN NEARLY 3 months! HOLY COW! :0 Sorry about that. I haven't had a lot of time to reserve for writing this story. And I will have even less time :sadpanda:.  
> Still. I got this chapter out, that's gotta count for something, right? :D  
> Edit: fixed a type. You know what it was.

_[“Oh thank the stars!”]_ Padme’s hologram popped up with a huge grin on her face as she looked to Obi-Wan. _[“I am so glad to see you! Both of you!”]_

“It is good to see you, too, Padme,” Obi-Wan said with a smile.

_[“You’re well?”]_

“I am _fine_ ,”

“That’s a lie,” Anakin snorted, but from the sudden alarm in the Force from Obi-Wan’s side of the bond he quickly turned joking. “You’ve just had to survive torture by Dooku’s drawling voice for the past three days. Nobody would be fine after that,”

Padme rolled her eyes, but bought it.

Obi-Wan flashed him a grateful look before he returned his face back to a more neutral, perhaps even exasperated look. “I am fine. No physical injuries, just mentally exhausted,”

_[“And the troops?”]_

“Dooku did not harm them, either,”

A constipated look crossed her face. _[“Then what was the point?”]_

“I wish I knew...” Obi-Wan answered. “Believe me, it was a very baffling situation. I know no reason he would kidnap me and let me go... except he said he wished to talk,”

Padme looked even more concerned.

 _[“That’s never good,”]_ She muttered looking off to the side. _[“Perhaps... with your change of status he wished to put even more of a wedge between you and the Jedi and Anakin?”]_

Obi-Wan pressed his lips into a firm line. Anakin wondered why Padme was pushing and prodding over such an unsecure line. And why she was saying things that were so obvious. Then he remembered, it probably wasn’t so obvious to her. She didn’t know Obi-Wan as well as Anakin did.

It was never as clear in that moment.

 _[“I’m sorry,”]_ Padme said, as she was distracted by something off screen. _[“I didn’t mean to interrogate you. I’m very glad you’re alright Obi-Wan. Something has come up, here, though and I must go. Safe travels to you both,”]_

They returned the goodbyes and Padme was gone.

“... Am I so transparent?” Obi-Wan asked.

“You’re doing better,” Anakin tried to comfort him. “When I came through that door, you were pale and silent, but you’re perking up the farther we get away from that butthole,”

Obi-Wan sighed. Then he was silent. For a long time, he simply stared out the port, staring out the transparent wall to space. Contemplation within the bond. Anakin let him be, knowing he would speak if it was important.

“He had a Sith Holocron,” Obi-Wan confided, “I didn’t do the best with it,”

Anakin jerked back. He didn’t question why Obi-Wan was only now telling him this. There was a line they had crossed when Anakin had revealed what he had done,

“Where the hell would he get a Sith Holocron?” Anakin demanded, wide eyed.

Those things were found in two places - museums or the Jedi Archive. And neither Dooku had access to within the past four years. At least, not the ones in the Republic sectors. Still, the Jedi kept track of most all Force-Sensitive artifacts, including the ones destroyed.

“I think he was just confirming what we already knew,” Obi-Wan said, crossing his arms and petting his beard.

“You mean about the Sith being alive and well in our galaxy?” Anakin demanded. “All the Jedi know that,”

Obi-Wan looked at him, his eyes sad.

“No, Anakin,” There was that terrible sadness in his voice. “It’s about who the Sith are... and Dooku, is a Sith Lord. And, I strongly suspect, that the reason I am here, talking with you now, is because his Master is the one who let me go,”

Anakin jerked back, blinking stupidly. That was quite a leap in logic, but Obi-Wan had been the one captured by Dooku. Still...

“But why?”

Obi-wan’s jaw clenched. It was silent as he chewed over his answer, clearly struggling to find the words, or the lack of words as he finally spoke.

“I have no karking clue.”

* * *

Afterwards Ahsoka found them and demanded that they play a few games of Chess, Ship Shape Shop, and Around the Galaxy with her. Obi-Wan was still tense, and distracted; while Anakin was distant and prone to forgetting his turn - but Ahsoka didn’t care one bit. They could be hurt, or dead, and this was far preferable.

She had her Master’s back. At least until they arrived back on Coruscant. 

Then Ahsoka would be at the temple, and they would be off without her. Again.

She winced as Obi-Wan flipped Anakin’s figure, thinking about how much trouble she was going to be in. Master Skywalker always told her to ask for forgiveness before asking for permission, and she hoped that would stand true for their return trip.

As Anakin laughed, though, she realized it didn’t matter.

Whatever the consequences: it was worth it.

* * *

It took three days to make it back, because they were simply being cautious in Separatist space. Dooku had all but promised a trap, after all. Maybe he had just wanted to lure them both together? Maybe it was to catch them both right on the edge of Republic space. Except that didn’t happen. They left and made it back unscathed. Anakin and Obi-Wan returned to a rather... strange welcome. It was a smattering of Clones, Jedi, and journalists. Along with a few Senators.

Obi-Wan sighed loudly just inside the bay doors. Of course this would be a public, publicized event. The return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his merry band of men. Rescued by the dashing Anakin Skywalker, the Hero With No Fear. Ahsoka was down with the clones, hoping she could sneak back into the temple without raising suspicion. All was as the world should be. It was the perfect opportunity to share the Republic propaganda the government wanted to propagate.

The ex-Jedi were both not looking forward to reading about this in the news tomorrow.

“Ready?” Anakin asked him.

“No,” Obi-Wan answered, truthfully.

“Taking one for the team, eh, Master?”

Obi-Wan sighed, before looking to Anakin fondly. “Today it’s me, tomorrow it could be you,”

Anakin good naturedly schooled his features back into blankness. A troop of clones stomped up behind them. Rex and Cody in attendance. Both ex-Jedi turned to them, relieved to see them in full gear, and ready to support them.

“Shall we, Generals?”

It was a loaded question. But one with a simple answer. Run away like two cowards or stand and take what was coming. At least it was just pictures,and talking, and giving interviews.

Obi-Wan gestured forward. “After you,”

Anakin straightened his back and imperiously tilted his chin up. He was always so good at giving the people what they wanted: a Hero. Then he was walking, and Obi-Wan was following.

Neither realized they had both been completely diverted from going to Kamino.

* * *

“Master Kenobi!”

“Knight Skywalker!”

“Je-Yudai!

“Master Je-Yudai, can we get a statement - “

“Knight Skywalker, how did you rescue General Kenobi?”

The questions we numerous and nearly all the same, all at once. Just as every single one of these press-conferences managed to somehow be. How everyone always had the same questions, Obi-Wan didn’t know, but he had already decided on his responses to each and every one of them.

“No comment at this time,”

Which sent many of the younger, junior reporters off to the next juicy story. The veterans, especially those writing in the ‘Jedi’ columns, gave in far less easily. With The Team, as all journalists knew to call them, sometimes just observing them together was enough ammunition for their columns. Then - read between the lines.

Amara Tontika was one such journalist and she had her twelve eyes on the next fluff piece with these two. As she watched Obi-Wan place a hand on Anakin’s middle (close to lower) back, she snapped a picture. It was too easy, sometimes. And occasionally, like now, the stories practically wrote themselves. Not that the ObiKin or SkyObi or KenWalker fandoms didn’t like to paint these pictures or splice images, with references and fiction - a genuine picture of them showing any kind of affection was pure gold.

She smirked to herself before her mouth dropped, as she looked through her photos and realized she had managed to capture a picture worth more than the back-touching one.

It was far away, but Amara had a good camera and had captured the moment in its entirety.

Her breath caught as she looked at it.

Master Kenobi was looking at Master Skywalker with soft, fond eyes, the slightest of smirks on his face. Except it wasn’t his usual smirk. It was... flowery, and pliable, and not at all like the Negotiator they knew and loved. Anakin’s face was in profile, and his smile was wide, and open, and everything that Skywalker was at his core. But, once again, tempered, and smoothed of its edges.

Amara had seen that look sparingly.

And **never** between non-romantic partners. But, were the Negotiator and the Hero with No Fear ... really ever a normal partnership? Could it be... the rumors were true?

It didn’t necessarily matter to her, she didn’t actually care, but lord above - her readers sure did.

She smiled, sharky, as she turned away to begin writing the fluff piece of her life, ignoring the crowd behind her.

* * *

There were no Masters’ to greet them, but a few knights in their place. And they were not there for either Obi-Wan or Anakin, but for Ahsoka.

Anakin plastered on a look of surprise and consternation.

“Excuse me, are you saying you lost my Padawan?” He demanded, with narrowed eyes as he forcefully projected how pissed he was. The human male gulped, visibly shrinking. His partner in crime, a slight twi'lek also collapsed in on herself, while trying to keep a straight face and not piss herself. It was one thing, after all, to lose the Hero With No Fear and the Negotiator, but it was another thing entirely to have them actively _against_ them.

Over the bond, Ahsoka was losing it with Cody.

Obi-Wan was a little less heavy handed than Anakin, but he laid a had on his padawan’s shoulder.

**_:Calm down, you’re scaring them,:_ **

:We’ve ** _been cooped up in a ship for the better part of a week_** ,: Anakin told him. :Let ** _me have this_** ,:

“Come now Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, in a voice that was reasonable. “Surely they haven’t lost Ahsoka. She is a smart Padawan, she might just be around the city,”

He gave the knights an out, and they took it. Blathering about how they must be mistaken, tripping over themselves to get away and comm the council.

**_:Alright, snips, you can come out.:_ **

He waited for her to exit the ship with the clones, before he spoke aloud. “Think we should get you back to the temple, should’t we you little stowaway?”

But he said it with a smile and Ahsoka playfully punched his shoulder as they set off.

“Thanks,” Ahsoka said as they reached the lower levels.

“For what?” Anakin asked, in a huff. “You were the one who volunteered to come with. Why are you thanking me for that?”

“Because you came and got me this time before running off where I could not follow,” She said, her force presence a fluttering happy thing. “And I appreciate the thought.”

“You’re never far from my mind,” Anakin said, ruefully. “It just may take me time to remember every single variable,” He hugged her close. “But I swear, you were second after the chaos was over when we left...”

“I know, skyguy,” She said, pulling away, still happy. “I know.”

Obi-Wan and Anakin watched her go. Anakin wasn’t sure how to take her words that had been so at ends with her feelings. That she still had faith and hope in them...

“Well.” Obi-Wan said helpfully.

“Really screwed that one up,” Anakin admitted. He dragged a hand through his hair.

“She’s forgiven you,”

“Yeah, but I haven’t forgiven myself.”

“That will come in time,” Obi-Wan said, sagely.

Anakin took a good look at him. He was tired, still recovering after being cooped up with an arguably insane ex-Jedi.

“Let’s go home,” Anakin said, taking a hold of Obi-Wan’s forearm and leading him away.

Obi-Wan followed willingly, too off to argue.

* * *

Returning back to Coruscant wasn’t exactly the highlight of any of their lives, but it was a relief. Relief to be back on home soil, to feel the comfortable ease of a place that knew them, and to no longer be worried about the coming days. Well... No more worried than usual.

For all their promises of moving into their new home, Obi-Wan and Anakin were still living with Padme. What with everything that happened, neither of the ex-Jedi had wanted to stay in a new, empty place so devoid of life or Force memories (good or bad). As it was, they thought it prudent to at least spend a _few_ hours in their new home - to begin to imprint their Force presence on the place.

The fact that Padme was **working** and therefore not at her own residence, also had a lot to do with it.

Which is why Obi-Wan and Anakin left Padme to her duties and were now piddling around in their new residence. Anakin was off finding new, fun things about the place, while Obi-Wan was looking over their patio-railing, to the stunning view that made the property a possible home rather than just a living space.

Obi-Wan smiled into the bright sun. It was warm and the breeze was teasing his hair like a caress of thousands of fingers. After spending half a week with the Count in an enclosed space, then another three days in a ship; the fresh air was invigorating.

It was a lovely day.

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin called for him from inside their kitchen, where it opened to the patio where Obi-Wan was. “Come here! You gotta see this!”

Feeling his pleasure in the Force, Obi-Wan knew he must have found some new gadget or wall-accessory their ‘home’ had that they had not noticed. When he entered, Anakin was standing in the room adjacent to the kitchen, wearing a big, bright smile. Oh yes. He had found something all right.

“What is it this time, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Just... come here!”

And he was gone, down the hallway towards the third room, which was their designated gym and sparring room. Obi-Wan followed at a more sedated pace, not wanting to run like Anakin was. Not only was it uncouth, but they had all the time in the world.

As he entered the room, it was to Anakin standing near the wall of windows with his hand against the glass.

“Please tell me you didn’t just find out the windows open...” He said, dryly.

Anakin still had that bright smile on his face. “It’s more than that! Look!”

Then he pushed his four fingers forward, upwards, his fingertips skittering on the glass. A series of trailing beeps echoed from where his fingers were as the glass suddenly _darkened_. Except, it didn’t go matte, it kept its transparency. A night sky bloomed as the sun faded. Clouds raced across the sky. It was as if the outside changed to night time.

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. That was... wow. That was fancy.

“See?” Anakin looked as smug as he could be. Then he began the techno babble. “It uses mirror-crystals to store the memory of what the night sky looked like last night to transpose what it looked like, I would say about twelve hours ago?” Anakin twiddled his fingers. “Yes, maybe thirteen hours ago.”

“It’s impressive, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told him.

Except Anakin was now in his own little world and wasn’t listening to him.

“Maybe I can reverse the crystals? Switch which side it’s recording? I bet that would be useful for when we spar and want to replay our fights! No, but then we’d have a huge security breach... What if we talked about sensitive information?... Maybe install it with DNA scanner? Or fingerprint, eyescan, along with Force signature scanner? That might work,”

Obi-wan smiled before he turned and left, well aware that Anakin was going to be busy for the foreseeable future. And sure enough, five hours later, Anakin stumbled into the kitchen with a pad of sketches and bleary unfocused eyes.

“Good evening, Anakin,” Obi-Wan greeted from the couch where he was reading. “Figured out your problem?”

“Ugh,” Anakin only said, plopping down next to him and stealing his cup of tea. “I think I got it. I’ll need to order the parts for it. And read up on mirror crystal installation,”

“Aren’t you going to use the crystals on the window?”

Anakin shook his head.

“No, I’m going to put another set, that will more mimic a full length wall mirror, on the wall opposite,”

Vanity, thy name is Anakin.

“If you must,” Obi-Wan stated, turning back to his reading. Just in time for Anakin’s comm. unit to beep loudly, shrilly, once. Then twice, before falling silent. Not to say the being waiting on the other end wasn’t still waiting. Anakin knew that ringtone, after all.

Obi-Wan did too.

“... The Chancellor?” he questioned Anakin.

Anakin was just as baffled. “Perhaps he is calling to inquire over your return?”

Yet, he wasn’t one to keep the leader of the Republic waiting.

“Good afternoon, Chancellor,”

 _[“Anakin! Thank you for answering so promptly,”]_ There was a moment's pause. _[“And you, Master Kenobi, glad to see you are doing well after that nasty business with the Separtist Leader,”]_

“Thank you, Chancellor, glad to be back as well.” Obi-Wan murmured.

Anakin smiled brightly. ”What can we do for you, sir?”

_[“I was hoping to request yours and Master Kenobi’s presence at the next senate meeting?”]_

“One moment, let me check our availability -” He gestured for Obi-Wan to do so.

Obi-Wan quickly pulled up the schedule. It was for tomorrow night.   **_:Get right back on the bantha, huh?:_ **

**_:Not like we have any plans?:_ **

**_:That’s true,:_ **

“We would be delighted, Chancellor,”

Obi-Wan added, before he could seem complacent. “Is there a reason you are requesting us, in particular, Chancellor?”

_[“Of course, Master Kenobi. Forgive me. The Jedi have informed me they have something to discuss with me in private, and I have a feeling I may need your assistance,”]_

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look filled with raised brows and bafflement. Well, until both of them remembered around the same second they weren’t Jedi. They weren't peacekeepers. At least. Not any more. They were Je-yudai. A neutral party. A neutral party between the two factions.

It was a job they had done thousands of times before. As Jedi. For other planets in disagreements.

This time they would be required to bridge the gap between

**_:I’ll admit... I wasn’t expecting this - and so soon after I got back,:_ **

**_:I wasn’t expecting this at all!:_ **

**_:Well, shame on you. You should have,:_ **

**_:.... You’re right,:_ **

**_:Of course, I’m right,:_ **

_[“Anakin? Master Kenobi?”]_

They had been silent for a long time it seemed. Too long.

“Apologies, Chancellor,” Anakin gave Obi-Wan a sheepish flattening of his mouth.

 ** _:This is setting a dangerous precedent...:_** Obi-Wan cautioned.

**_:We’ve done the same thing for other’s,:_ **

Anakin was past being cautioned. “Of course we’ll be there,”

_[“Excellent! Then I will see you two tomorrow,”]_

The line clicked and Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a contemplating look.

“So it begins,” Obi-Wan stated, turning away to the kitchen. “Would you like a drink, Anakin?”

“If you’re getting trashed, I’m getting trashed with you,”

Obi-Wan gave him a stern look. “It’s one drink, Anakin,”

His partner smiled.

“Sure it is,”

It ended up being a whole bottle. At least. They didn’t talk about anything deep. They drank, and they reminisced, and they sat on a couch and watched the sunset. Obi-Wan was too exhausted to really rant or start a fight or actively bitch, and Anakin always allowed himself to fizzle out of an active lifestyle into a blank, empty slate. Tonight was no different. Eventually, their talks petered off, and the silence took over their home.

Neither wanted to disturb the silence. Disturb the peace.

And it stayed that way until they fell asleep. Only to awaken in the morning when Padme called, to ask how they were and if they were coming to the senate with her.


	18. Felt like Dropping In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padme gifts her boys with a dress fitting fit for a queen (or at least a Nubian one).  
> The holo image leaves quite a mark (a lasting one).  
> The Council plans and plots (and gossips).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long! It's been... well, it's been. We're in the final stretch though, with Mace finally orbiting back around soon enough and Obi-Wan and Anakin having to deal with canon events in a non-canon way.  
> Either way, enjoy some angsty-plotty mess!

Padme came over first thing in the afternoon after calling ahead to make sure they were ‘decent’.

“What, does she think we walk around naked?” Obi-Wan had asked.

Anakin just smiled. Which made Obi-Wan hit him. Even though he hadn’t used his words, his presence had moved slightly over to amused and smug. Obi-Wan didn’t need to know any more about his sex life, thank you very much.

Twenty minutes later, Padme had shown up with an entourage. Or more like an army. Her entire Nubian entourage was in their spacious house, making it seem like a one-bedroom apartment. Both Obi-Wan and Anakin had shared a moment of panic as they tried to understand what was happening, but it all became clear moments later when Padme’s tailor came forward to measure Anakin without a word of permission. He was a stern feeling in the force, all business.

“We do have clothes, Padme,” Anakin said dryly, but held out his arms from his side at the man’s insistent poking. As if this has happened before, Obi-Wan noted shrewedly.

Padme rolled her eyes. “You don’t have clothes, you have _Jedi robes_ , Ani, there is a difference. You are no longer Jedi, so you should not wear the robes of Jedi.” As she talked she grabbed Obi-Wan’s sleeve and dragged him over to the nearest handmaiden. “Tell her your favorite colors, because if you don’t she’ll just choose whatever goes best with your skin tone.”

“This is unnecessary - “

“Tell her,”

And she was off.

Even being the negotiator, Obi-Wan knew when he was bested by a superior opponent. Still.

“Brown,” He told the woman expressionlessly.

The handmaiden, Corde he thought by her presence, burst out into snorty-little laughs before patting his shoulder in a comforting kind of dismissal.

“You’re more of an summer, I think,” And she was off. He didn’t think he was going to be getting any brown. Tan, if he was lucky, but no brown. He sighed.

“Ouch!” Anakin shouted, petulantly.

“Oh grow up, Ani,” Padme told him as she primly sat at the edge of one of their new couches, but she was smiling at his cute, angry frown. “He just pricked you. I’ve seen you beaten black and blue before, if you’ll remember,”

“Doesn’t mean I want to be abused in my own home,” He grumbled, but sighed and stood as still as he could. Obi-Wan was impressed that he kept it going for the next ten minutes. Then, of course, it was his turn.

Unlike Anakin, Obi-Wan didn’t mind standing still as a statue, and the tailor was much kinder to him and his very pokable skin. It all took about twenty minutes for each of them, and then half the people in their large house left to go ‘prepare’ their clothes. Both the ex-Jedi thought they should be worried about that, but it was too late to complain as Padme started talking shop.

“Tonight the Senate is going to be voting on a few non-starter bills about funds,” She began, settling more comfortably into the couch. One of her handmaidens brought her some tea. Obi-Wan was baffled, since he hadn’t heard a kettle going and their kitchen was not that far off. “It’s going to be a pretty boring night, and I am not expecting anything crazy to happen.”

“How has the senate been these past few months?” Obi-Wan asked. He hadn’t had time to go and attend a session since the summer months. What seemed lifetimes ago. “Any power plays I should know to watch for?”

“Everyone is still friends with whom they were friends with before,” Padme huffed. “To my consternation, of course. My allies and I have been making an effort to sway a few of the outer regions into siding with us on the bigger bills when they come around, but we have had no luck.” She looked aged far past her brief quarter century of life. “They are weary backing us against opposition that could damage their planet and the trade to their planets,”

“So it’s been mostly stagnant...” Anakin said, as if unsure if that was what they were talking about.

“Yes,” Padme confirmed. “It’s bloody annoying. We are at war, and we still can’t decide the best way to tie our own shoelaces,” She rolled her eyes in irritation. “It’s embarrassing,”

Anakin raised a brow. “Then why do you always say this is the best way to govern if it’s so ineffective?”

Obi-Wan blinked at him. Wait. What? Padme said what?

Padme waved as if to dismiss him. “Because we have many planets, and all of them need to have a say in their galactic government. It would not be fair to levy taxes, or reroute a supply line, or a trade route without consulting all parties,”

“And if the vote is split evenly? Or even just one over - that doesn’t seem very fair...”

Obi-Wan sat back and watched. It wasn’t often Anakin was willing to offer up his own views of leadership, and their government. In fact, Obi-Wan was very sure he had been careful to never fully implicate himself in any of his words. He could count on his hand the number of times that Anakin would allow any of his own views to truly outrank the ‘jedi’ views they all had.

Which... Obi-Wan was beginning to realize just how stifled Anakin had kept himself. A pang of anger and pain, which he quickly swept away from himself, Obi-Wan couldn’t help but feel for Anakin.

Padme had her mouth closed in a grimace.

“It is still better than one planet deciding what the whole galaxy should be doing. Or, well, kark, one person,” Padme shivered. “A dictatorship is the very last time we need,”

Anakin was not to be discouraged.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why would you would rather us be fair but ineffective than effective but restricted? It is as you say, we are at war,” Anakin leaned forward. “I’ve read of planets volunteering a sole leader to get them through times of crisis. Why is the Republic different?”

Obi-Wan watched Anakin then as Padme’s presence soured towards understanding that Anakin was actually starting a debate over the pros and cons of a short dictatorship. Right now. When she had only come over to kidnap their wardrobe and set it on fire. A note of surprise from everyone involved as Anakin’s own presences veered sharply into a clashing kind of conflict. Debate. Argument. Conflict.

“Who would you trust with the whole of the Republic?”

Anakin cocked his head. “Well, the Chancellor, surely?”

“And why?”

“Because he is already the leader. It would not take much to move him from a figurehead to the literal head of our government.”

“Which is why he should not be even a _considered_ candidate.”

Anakin narrowed his eyes.

“And why not? How is he not the most qualified candidate? Isn’t that what you are always saying we need in the senate? More qualified candidates?”

Padme puffed a sigh.

“He’s too qualified. He practically volunteered himself for the job! He is a dear friend, but we must keep a clear head when thinking about motives Anakin. Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Motives.... It made sense, but for once Obi-Wan could only really see things from Anakin’s side. Yes, Padme had her points, but this was a different kind of thing she was talking about. She wanted a true volunteer. The kind that volunteered from a farm, led a war, and then returned to said farm to live in peace. She wanted a sacrifice. As for the whole absolute power corruption... well, the Jedi had never tried to take over the senate.

He snorted quietly to himself.

And they never would!

The reality was that having a one term dictator would never fly. It was not a reality that could stand against scrutiny.

Anakin was right.

And if there was one thing Obi-Wan was beginning to understand the farther away from the Order they walked - Anakin was right about quite a lot of things.

About love. About freedom. About the right to walk away. About a number of things - all things that made living within the same planet as the Order troublesome, but worth it. To be able to walk away, have opinions that did not tear their very order to ribbons...

It was a start. And it was enough.

Anakin and Padme argued more, but neither budging on the issue or introducing any new data or opinions. Obi-Wan allowed himself to frown and take a step back from it all. Something was bugging him but he wasn’t sure what. Was it the fact that they were arguing over if the Chancellor should really be the best candidate for dictatorship? Or perhaps it was the fact that Anakin was speaking more un-canned truth than Padme for once?

When had Anakin become the idealist?

A soft delicate cough broke them all out of their argument and thoughts. A flash of embarassment.

Dorme stood in the doorway with a holopad, and big wide eyes, and a pale countenance.

“Uhm,” She said, gulping. “I really think you all need to see this...”

* * *

Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan all stared at the article in disbelief.

“This is new...” Obi-Wan said, unsure what else to say outside of gaping. “And... I suppose more welcome than the usual rags?”

Of course there had been the odd article musing on their closeness, and often inappropriately linking their Padawan-Master bond as something sexual - and not just their bond but all Jedi, it was a common myth that they just sat around and had orgies all day - but this wasn’t any of that. This was just a photo, with a caption, and a headline that was inflamator to the extreme.

HERO WITH NO FEAR AND NEGOTIATOR - DO THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE?

A photo of him and Anakin, just looking at each other, coming down from the ship, relieved to be back on solid, familiar ground. Obi-Wan looked exhausted. Anakin looked pleased as punch to be home.

And it made the front page of the holonet.

Obi-Wan would never understand tabloids.

Anakin just had his head cocked, staring at the photo as if it would tell him all he needed to know. He was as baffled as Obi-Wan. They must be missing something... If the caption had said anything other than ‘Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi return safely from another trip into separatist territory’ they may have thought something was being insinuated in terms of their status, but this was nothing like that. In fact, as far as Obi-Wan had read the article was really more of a fluff piece. And painting them both in a flattering, albeit untrue, light.

Yet, Padme was shocked. She was reading the article quickly, eyes bouncing as her pulse sped up, as she reached the end before either of them. Then she stared at the photo, her brow furrowed, as she frowned.

“They think the reason you guys left the Jedi was to be together,” She said, still staring away from them, and subsequently did not see the damage as both ex-Jedi froze. “They seem to think that the Jedi had forbidden your love, and that the only way for you two to share your lives together was to leave.”

“Excuse me?”

“I beg your pardon!?” Obi-Wan gaped, finally leaning over to snatch the holo up and reading the article with more focused vision. Anakin blinking dumbly, with big doe eyes as he processed.

The article started by extolling their virtue, all they had done for the very Republic they served, explaining the situation with Obi-Wan’s napping as best they had the facts, and then took a nosedive into wild speculation.

Had Dooku wanted to force Obi-Wan to switch sides? Why had he not kidnapped Anakin as well? Was it bait to get the Hero with No Fear to go rescue him? Why let them go? Why wasn’t Anakin on the ship? Was it perhaps because the two of them were being punished? Were the Jedi devilish fiends who refused to allow them to travel together? Was it because of their love for one another? Was it because the Jedi were bitter?

The list went on and on. The article speculating and speculated.

“That’s...” Obi-Wan shut his mouth.

Exactly right. But tilted absolutely wrong.

Pivoting, Obi-Wan could see where the truth could lead to them thinking that. He also knew, intimately, that neither he nor Anakin were in a relationship. Thank the Force. What was not something Obi-Wan needed to contemplate right now.

“Ughhhhh,” Anakin groaned, flopping back onto the couch as Obi-Wan simply collapsed, knees weak. “They aren’t even completely wrong!”

Bad thing to say! Obi-Wan warned Anakin as he stiffened, even though he agreed with Anakin.

Padme looked absolutely shocked!

“What.” She said, voice flat.

“What Anakin is trying to say,” Obi-Wan quickly took over the conversation. “Is that _one of the reasons_ we did leave was to more fully focus ourselves together in protection of ourselves.” He shot Anakin a hard glare as Anakin just looked confused. “Not so we could go off and buy a love nest so we could-”

Anakin and Obi-Wan had a single thought then, that zipped across their bond. It sunk in deep and both of them realized just how easily all they had done, all they would do, and all they were - could be summed up into what this article had written.

They were The Team.

They were The Partnership.

How far off, really, was it to assume that their love was more than platonic?

“Oh for fucks sake. That’s exactly what it looks like we did.” Obi-Wan groaned, sinking into his hands.

“Wha - “

“We bought property, which I can only assume everyone thinks we live in, left the Jedi Order to follow our own way except we did not divert from one another, and we did it all very passionately - exactly how Jedi are not supposed to do things,” Obi-Wan sighed. “We couldn’t have given them a better love-story than if we had made out in front of them!”

Anakin blushed and Padme gapped. Probably at him saying ‘made out’. But hey - he was frazzled!

He was allowed to be a little looser with his tongue.

Oh dear, Obi-Wan thought as Anakin shot him a startled look. **_:Not the words I wanted to use!:_**

 _ **:Well, too late!:** _ Anakin shot right back, half-heartedly.

Padme was staring between them now, as if she could hear them speaking. It wasn’t an accusing gaze, but Obi-Wan felt guilty for some reason. As if what they had, what they shared... was tainted. But it wasn’t.

It was a Force-Bond fully saturated... that’s all.

* * *

Now, Padme was a calm, even keel person. She ran a planet when she was fourteen. She now was senator for said planet. She knew about responsibility, and keeping her poker face on at all times, and she was well adept at keeping secrets of many different individuals. And she trusted her husband with all her heart.

But this wasn’t about trust.

This was about feelings.

With Anakin, feelings were an entirely too real beast, that had become its own part of the relationship. Like a second head, or person. Anakin felt, and he felt a lot. And often times, he felt but he didn’t realize what he felt.

Padme always knew that Obi-Wan and Anakin were a package deal, perhaps less than some people assumed but always more than everyone would accept. She got Anakin to herself, yes, but with that stipulation came being sent off to war, him spending time with his Master, as well as his Padawan, and often only able to find time for her in between the cracks.

It was easier for him to be partners with Obi-Wan, and Padme had never been jealous of that fact.

Until now.

They saw war together, they killed together, they saw each other at their lowest, bleeding on each other, healing each other - out on the battlefield there was no place for Padme in the space of a blaster bolt gone wrong, or un-blocked. Padme did not exist in the plan to take a planet back forcefully. She existed as a concept. Though Anakin would deny it profusely, and proclaim only his love for her, always her, she understood that when it came to her and Obi-Wan, she came second.

Anakin had been Jedi. Hell. She might as well have been coming fourth!

And she was fine with that. More than fine with that considering she went in with eyes wide open. Jedi were practically married to the Force. Obi-Wan was Anakin’s Master, his family. Ahsoka was his Padawan. There was a structure there that she had no part in.

Anakin loved her, yes, she knew that. It was easy to see it. He was very free with his love to her.

But this was something different. Padme didn’t exactly know what was different about it, or how to put her finger on it, but as she looked at the picture, displayed in perfect relief the moment where they looked to each other, walking down the gangplank... she realized she had miscalculated something.

She wanted not to be jealous, as she had not been jealous of how Obi-Wan had calmed Anakin in the apartment after their sparring match. She wanted not to fear how easily Anakin looked at Obi-Wan as something precious, as if he would follow him out of her life without a second of warning or thought for her. She wanted to tell herself, just because they left the Jedi - it didn’t mean they were leaving her.

But... They did leave the order.

In that photo, Anakin had looked at Obi-Wan as he had never looked at her.

It wasn’t soft, per say, but it wasn’t harsh or lingering. It wasn’t a halted stare, or a fast one. It felt like it said everything that needed to be said, as if Anakin would walk away, forever, and Obi-Wan would know how to interpret the action. As if there didn’t need to be an explanation. As if there would never need to be an explanation. Understanding. Not passion, per say, or regret, or even desperation. It was happy, but it could just as easily be somber.

And Padme couldn’t put her finger on how it was different, how it was nothing like what they shared, and everything like how they should share.

She plastered on her mask of a queen and decided she would sort her feelings out later.

Alone.

* * *

Obi-Wan respected Padme too much to ask her why she was just now putting up walls, when she had been rather free with her opinions and feelings the entire time Obi-Wan and Anakin had been staying with her. Anakin, for once in his life, followed Obi-Wan’s lead in regard to Padme and he too allowed his wife to give him her best silent-treatment. Which wasn’t silent, it was full of conversation, but it was far more stilted and calm than it would have been had the article not come up.

It wasn’t Obi-Wan’s place, the man thought firmly. This was Anakin’s to deal with.

He would only make it worse. Especially as he had no clue how a picture of them looking relieved to be home could be misconstrued as anything... more. Nor did he want to fan the flames and give Padme and Anakin something to fight over.

He wasn’t worth that.

Instead he focused on the handmaidens coming back with outfits that they had had expedited. He focused all his attention on the black stitching in the fine tan trousers, and the way the green of the tunic would bring out his eyes. He complimented each and everyone who had helped pick out the clothes.

Anakin’s clothing was no less fine, and it suited him just as well. He always felt more at home in darker clothing, and today was no different with deep maroon and gold pants. He almost looked like he belonged right back on Tatooine - sunkissed, dressed up, and wanting to be anywhere but sitting on the couch in the still awkward atmosphere.

It was especially awkward when they were presented with an entire wardrobe of colors, fabric, and cuts that Obi-Wan had only seen the Nubians wear. It was a sweet gesture of friendship, if a little overwhelming, and entirely more uncomfortable by the way Padme tried to keep herself in check.

It would be rude to mention it, it would be rude to not take the clothes, it would be... well it would be very rude for rather a lot of reasons. So Obi-Wan kept his mouth shut, and accepted it all with aplomb.

* * *

 

Padme was angry. Obi-Wan was carefully stepping around his wife. And Anakin had no clue how to fix this short of taking Padme into a room and explaining that she was his only one. Except that would leave Obi-Wan outside of it all, probably lonely, and most certainly left to his own thoughts and devices. Never a good thing.

If he stayed with the both of them, then nothing would be accomplished.

If he and Obi-Wan went off and talked about how stupid all of this was and how to stop it in the future - well. That just wouldn’t end well for anyone. Padme may be the most chill senator that Anakin had ever met, but she was still a fierce warrior at her core. As his wife, she was also completely at right to be any kind of jealous or angry at him. None of the soft lavish life had sucked out her spirit, and it showed.

So, of course, Anakin decided to take the path of least resistance. Do nothing. Act stupid.

It had worked well for him before.

Which was hilarious... he knew twenty languages including binary and how to put a ship back together after taking it apart. Complex math was childsplay, pulling a plan out of his ass was easy, and he never lacked for problems to solve.

But this wasn’t easy things like quantum physics - this was relationships.

So Anakin kept quiet and watched the others for his lead. All the while blushing in embarrassment at the fine clothing he was being heaped with. He never took gifts particularly well. He could give them, but actually receiving them made him feel... wrong.

None the less, Padme was genuine with her smile as Anakin thanked her.

That made it all easy to take.

* * *

“Yeah, no,” Kit Fisto snorted after everyone had finished reading the article. “Kenobi and Skywalker? Sleeping together?” He threw his head back and outright laughed. Plo Koon joined in, the laugh getting caught in his breathing apparatus.

“Force, those two would kill each other before anything happened in the bedroom,”  Plo said, pure unadulterated joy seeping from him. “Not to mention those two are the literal _worst_ at keeping secrets. Obi-Wan can only do it if it is someone else’ secret. And Anakin... well, I’ve watched him try to hide secrets. That is not a man who can convince anyone he knows nothing.”

“And doesn’t Skywalker have that... thing going with the Senator?” Depa asked, looking at the picture curiously.

A number of heads nodded. Yes, Skywalker was with Amidala. Though, none were sure how close they truly were in light of them leaving, but it was still some kind of relationship. Deeper than anything the Jedi would allow, but that was Skywalker for you. Breaking rules and then running away from the consequences.

Yoda rapped his stick against his chair, stilling everyone, but the amusement would not wane.

“Curious, I am, how this reporter came by this information?” He asked, pointing to a variety of the articles paragraphs, where much of what had not been released to the public was printed. It was worrisome, because that meant they had a leak.

At a time when having a leak could potentially endanger one of their council members.

And just like that - Obi-Wan and Anakin, and their secret love affair that they had hidden for so long, was swept right back under the rug as far as the Council was concerned. They had more important things to discuss. Like the war.

And how they were going to get the Chancellor to agree to their plan after the Senate tonight.


	19. Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt us with goodbye?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward car ride to the senate, followed by some senate throwdown, and then the Jedi thinking they could get away with ALSO throwing down.  
> The boys are just fed up. Yes they are.  
> Yoda tries to pull up quick on a Padawan he has no buisness talking to.  
> Palpatine gets his 4 sentences of fame (the asshole)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter and I was like - listen brain, you've been mean to your readers. Like 6 months with nothing and then a spinkling of a chapter? Gurl. That's damn near against the Geneva Convention. So here you guys go! :D  
> Also.  
> P.S. Padme is hard to write.  
> P.P.S PADME IS VERY HARD TO WRITE don't be mad at me on her please she has a mind of her own and I love her so much I just let her speak.  
> [Edit: You all were gonna let me sleep on the fact this chapter didn't have a title. Like a boob.]

The car was silent as they were transported to the Senate. It was both an unease and easy silence. An air of anticipation. Padme was distracted with reading about final, last minute changes to the senate meeting while Anakin stared out the window, head pillowed on his fist. Obi-Wan, in turn, watched them.

Since the holo-article debacle, there had not been any true worthwhile conversation. Obi-Wan knew if he brought up the situation, everyone would deny that the article was the cause of their currently at-odds silence. Which was bull, and everyone knew it.

Still, he knew how to strategically retreat until it was time to strike.

Going into the belly of the beast was never a good time to be off guard, and Obi-Wan wasn’t about to start now. _Especially_ , he acknowledged as cameras flashed, _when he was right._ It was a madhouse outside the walls of their transport as hundreds of reporters tried to get the latest scoop.

“Lovely,” Obi-Wan said under his breath.

Anakin, Padme, and he all rallied their disgust and embarrassment with identical grimaces.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long until they actually arrived at their destination. A few of the other senators were milling around outside, giving interviews to a couple of the reports, looking delighted by the attention. The rest of the senators would already be inside, planning for the newest session rather than lollygagging for a few more minutes of fame for themselves and their planet.

When they exited the call it was to a chorus of bleeting.

“Master Kenobi, tell us about your rescue!”

“Knight Skywalker, is it true that you and your Master have been having an affair even since your knighting?”

“ - is wearing what looks to be Loriumson’s newest work in a deep brown, and emerald. While Skywalker is in a tasteful take on what we can only assume is his home planet origins - “

“Senator Amidala, tell us more about these two men you’re with - “

“ - Is this a three person kind of relationship? - “

“What do you think of the trade deal with - “

And on, and on, and on. Obi-Wan attempted to try and pick out individual voices, but it was all rather impossible. Anakin had on a look of absolute boredom, but Obi-Wan knew in the Force he was seconds away from bolting and hiding in a closet. Battle, he was made for; but the political arena much more suited Obi-Wan.

Padme answered only the questions voiced at her, politely, and in association with her work. Ever the queen. Even then, it was trying as most of the reports call yelled over each other to try and get her to pay attention to them.

It was five minutes before Obi-Wan and Anakin both realized the crowd wasn’t getting smaller, but bigger.

 **_:Exit strategy?:_ ** Anakin queried.

**_:Grab Padme and make a break for the Dome?:_ **

Anakin almost cracked a smile, his presence amused despite it all. **_:We might have to create a distraction. Write one of us off as lost, so we can protect her. Fallen soldiers and all:_ **

**_:Sounds complex,:_** Obi-Wan responded dryly. : ** _Any other ideas?:_**

**_:... Diplomacy?:_ **

**_:There’s the padawan I trained.:_ **

“Senator Amidala,” Anakin stated quietly but with authority, very lightly touching her elbow to ask for her attention. “We really must be going, the session will be starting within the next few minutes.”

The tabloid reporters went wild, snapping shots as if they were filming instead of taking stills.

Padme handled it all exactly as if she were the reason for all of the attention, and not the two ex-Jedi with her, and excused herself firmly from the reporters. Turned her back on them and walked authoritatively away, Obi-Wan and Anakin flanking her as if she were the highest ranking official they were protecting.

Inside the Dome, all of them shared one quick fond look, before they rounded a corner into their next obstacle.

Other senators.

“Master Kenobi! Knight Skywalker!” Bail greeted, allowing them to nod back pleasantly, before greeting Padme with a hug and a kiss. “It’s been an eventful month. I’ve heard these two have made your life rather hectic,”

“That article certainly didn’t help things,” Padme responded. “Not that they wouldn’t have managed to create some kind of dramatic nonsense before the end of the week.”

Bail laughed. “What,” And this he directed at them. “Tell me you haven’t gotten into more trouble, have you?”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips then. “We’ve been perfectly behaved since we touched down,”

“Promise,” Anakin winked, which certainly didn’t help.

Padme and Bail shared a secret, fond but indulging look, before they started talking shop.

Obi-Wan frowned as he listened carefully to what they were saying.

**_:Tell me the Senate wasn’t really pushing for giving the Jedi more judicial power.:_ **

Anakin shrugged. **_:I wasn’t paying attention, I’ll be honest... but that sounds right. Padme was in favor of it, but suspicious as far as I knew. Then again, she thinks the Jedi having power is the lesser of two evils.:_ **

**_:As well she should be,:_** Obi-Wan mused. **_:... What would be the point? The Jedi don’t want, nor need that kind of power:_**

At least, he hadn’t thought they had. Which was one reason for them being in charge of the armies so... off. Yes, they were in the perfect position to serve, but what was everyone else getting?

**_:Who put it forth?:_ **

Anakin had to think for a moment. **_:I believe it was the Senator of Hosnian Prime?:_**

Well that was certainly a wildcard. Hmm.

Then the signal for ten minutes till the Dome closed for the Senate to convene sounded and they all made their way to their pods.

* * *

The senate meeting opened as it always did, and then as it droned on, Padme finally turned to Obi-Wan. Anakin was staring off at the left side of the Dome and pretending like he wasn’t there. If he was also juggling a couple pens that was nobody else’s business.

“Is there any reason not to give Jedi more power?”

“Other than the fact that the Jedi don’t want it, shouldn’t have it, and it goes against ou- their moral standings?” Obi-Wan responded dryly. “No reason.”

“... Is this another one of those Jedi things I won’t understand.”

Obi-Wan stared at her.

“Please tell me you’re not serious.”

“The Jedi are Generals, and they are doing their duty... Yes, granted, they may not be happy about it but I don’t see a problem with it. Is there something I am missing?”

“The very act of the Jedi being any part of this war, already means the Jedi have lost,” He watched as the rest of the senate buzzed, listening to the current speaker. “That was one of the reasons Anakin and I left, after all. To keep fighting a battle where we had already lost was not... palatable. Something had to be done about it. We were more than happy to continue to fight, we’re very good at that,” He flashed her a warm smile, perhaps a touch to predatory as she paled a bit. “But to be a Jedi while we continued... it seemed a bastardization we couldn’t defend,”

Padme was looking at him like he was revealing something entirely new.

What on earth did Anakin and she talk about? Surely he had explained themselves, right?

“Explain.”

This time Anakin answered. “Obi-Wan and I enjoy being generals, but the Jedi’s creed conflicts completely with such a title. We are- **_were_ ** peacekeepers, the Jedi are, and with that title means not starting any kind of conflict but negotiating and mediating. To begin a fight with the express purpose of knowing it won’t actually end the conflict is... backwards. This whole buisness of the War... it’s the exact opposite of what the Jedi should be doing.”

“No it doesn’t, they are needed,” Padme said, eyes narrowing. “What about the Jedi of old?”

“You mean the ones that had to fight Sith all the time?”

“What are the separatists not _‘sithly’_ enough for you?”

Obi-Wan watched them bicker and suddenly - it became a lot clearer. He interrupted them.

“Who else thinks that that is the reason Jedi are the Generals in the army?”

“It could have just been a mistaken assumption on my part,” Padme said, defensively. "But I believe every planet should have the right to choose... just perhaps after this war is over."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes and was about to answer when the very Bill they were discussing came on the docket. And as quickly as it came on the docket, after only a short speak from Oppo Rancisis saying the Jedi didn’t want the power that was to be bestowed on them, and then the Chancellor saying he supported it “for the good of the republic,” - it was over. Votes cast in a blink of an eye. The vote was over before it even began.

Thundering approval followed for the Jedi to take on more responsibility followed.

Obi-Wan was never as glad of leaving the Order as right then and there, especially looked over to see Eeth Koth look even more resigned than before. Their workload would double within the next few months. And with nothing to show for it.

That would have been him.

He felt tired just thinking of the paperwork.

Anakin and he shared a look that spoke volumes. The Jedi were being pulled ever farther in every direction than what they should be doing. If they didn’t accept that the war needed to be ended, not perpetuated, than they'd eventually be in the same spot as Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Padme watching from the side of her eyes, feeling like she’d missed something important.

* * *

“We’ve got a meeting with the chancellor,” Anakin informed his wife, as the Senate came to a close. “You don’t have to wait up for us,”

“What does he want?”

“Apparently the Jedi,” Anakin stated with a kind of baffled hesitancy, still unused to saying it without being a part of the word. “Have _something_ to discuss with him that he wants us there for,”

As if none of them knew exactly what was going to be discussed. There were no secrets between Anakin and Padme. Obi-Wan was actually glad for that. Another in the know was nice. Well, except she thought Mace was dead, but there was nothing for that.

“Ah, I won’t wait then,” Padme kissed Anakin on the cheek and gave Obi-Wan a hug before she left. “Be safe, and don’t get dragged into another intergalactic war without me!”

“We won’t!”

When they were alone, Anakin and Obi-Wan had a moment to bask in the silence. There was much going on in both of their minds, across the shared bond it was like a buzzing. Anakin broke first.

“I have a bad feeling about this,”

“Agreed,” Obi-Wan stroked his beard. “At least we’ve had a week of vacation, huh?”

The look Anakin shot him was full of vitriol and amusement.

* * *

The Jedi in attendance were Yoda, Agen Kolar, and Plo Koon. And exactly none of them looked delighted to see Obi-Wan or Anakin. Sure, they didn’t look angry or really anything, but they didn’t look pleased. Typical Jedi for you.

“Private meeting, this is to be,” Yoda stated.

Obi-Wan was about to respond, but the door opened then.

“I asked them here,” The Chancellor said as he waltzed into the room with his entourage. “You said you had something to discuss in regards to my safety. I thought I would be preemptive and ask Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi here in that capacity,”

Yoda and Plo Koon looked impassive but Agen Kolar could not control the flicker of disbelief that bloomed across his face. The Force around him sparked, for a moment, and Obi-Wan noted he was... offended? Obi-Wan felt a little for them. He did. Really.

Alright. He was lying. It felt pretty good.

He’d never let himself feel particularly smug when in these situations on other planets, but now that he was a party to a discussion with a more personal nature and angle - Obi-Wan was finding it to be cathartic. Especially after his capture and subsequent torture.

“Master kenobi already knows of the issue we wish to speak with you about, today,” Plo Koon said. “We were informed by one of our informants that the Separatists are going to make an attempt at your life,”

The Chancellor frowned, looking between all the serious people in front of them.

“You are sure?”

Obi-Wan answered. “Before Anakin and I left the Order, we were discussing ways to pinpoint when exactly the attack was to take place. I assume, now,” He looked to Plo Koon. “that there is enough evidence for a timetable?”

Yoda nodded. “Yes,”

Raising a brow, Anakin crossed his arms. “And?”

“And, we believe it will happen within the week,”

Palpatine sighed.

“I am to go to Naboo, as soon as my security detail is readied.”

That startled a reaction out of the Jedi. It was Kolar that said, calmly but tightly. “Chancellor, allow us to send a few Jedi with you, to add to your protective detail.”

“Thank you for the kind offer, but I was rather hoping that Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker would accompany me within that capacity. As they usually do when on planet and I am able to request their presence,”

Truth, all of it, but the Jedi were tight lipped and frowns all around.

“No disrespect Chancellor, but they are no longer Jedi - “

“I am aware,” Palpatine cut him off. Which was a good thing, because Anakin had been able to open his mouth and speak words not suitable for any chamber. “I was there when the papers were signed. Jedi, they might not be, but I trust them to have the good of the Republic at heart. They have protected me before, and I trust them to protect me now,”

“Chancellor, please reconsider,” Plo Koon said. “Master Kenobi has been through a trying ordeal just within the past week. He needs time to recover,”

Both Je-Yudai agents froze, eyes stealing.

 **_:I do believe the gauntlet has been thrown down, as it were,_ ** : Obi-Wan calmly told Anakin.

The younger man just as stiffly replied. **_:Oh, that will not stand,:_**

**_:It will not,:_ **

**_:We’re doing this,:_ **

**_:As if there was any other outcome,:_ **

Neither noticed the Jedi stiffen at their blatant communication using their bond, nor would they have pulled back or stopped even if they had. No. They were in aggressive negotiation mode. Obi-Wan didn’t think of the way it had all seemed so perfectly set up to piss them both off. To prickle and needle how the Jedi refused to trust them for the simple, easy truth of them not being kin anymore. Obi-Wan couldn’t think. There was only action on his mind.

“We would be delighted to accompany you until the threat is seen to, Chancellor,” Obi-Wan answered for them both. “As it is, were are still technically on leave, we can resume our leisure time when the threat has passed,”

“Wonderful!” Palpatine clapped. “Then that is what we shall do. Is there anything else, Master Jedi, that I can help you with? Hmm? No?”

“All, that is, Chancellor,” Yoda hummed. His ears having drooped long ago, at the beginning of the conversation when he realized what the Chancellor’s goal had been. It would be suspicious, if Kenobi and Skywalker hadn’t put themselves in the position they were in. If instead it had been Palpatine orchestrating it - but it wasn’t. It was the two ex-Jedi. The two of them had left the Order, had broken their vows, had left. And that just meant that they truly were wild cards.

Perhaps the Chancellor was just trying to tie them down, before they realized they had the freedom to run and never look back. It was the smart move.

“All, that is,” Yoda repeated as he got up to walk away, bidding goodbye. Flanked by the other Master’s after they, too, had given their goodbyes.

It was just outside the doors when Yoda told them both, “New change, this is. Something new, begun it has,”

“They are just doing their duty - “

“Duty, nothing to do with this, it has,”

Agen Kolar quirked a brow. “It doesn’t? How do you mean?”

“The Chancellor,” Yoda stated, as he walked slowly. “Changed, in him, it has,”

Plo Koon raised a brow. “Well. What’s to be done about it?”

Yoda hemmed. “Visit, Padawan Ahsoka, we must,”

* * *

After seeing Anakin, Ahsoka was feeling pretty good about life. She had been along to save Obi-Wan, too! It was a good week. Everything felt... right.

She smiled at the sun before turning to enthusiastically read her quantum physics homework.

That was, of course, when she heard the soft pattering of feet. If not for the Force, she would have thought it was a youngling. As it was, a youngling would have made more sense.

“Master Yoda?” Ahsoka asked, cocking her head at the diminutive Master. “Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon, it is, is it?” Yoda hmmm.

“Wonderful,”

Ahsoka was just wondering where this was going.

“Padawan Tano,” Yoda stated, gravely. Ahsoka sat up straighter. “Have I to ask you, something critical,”

Her heart dropped somewhere in her chest.

This was one of those situations that Master Skywalker always warned her about. What did he call them? Lose-lose? When you knew something was about to be asked of you, as a Jedi, that was going to hurt, but you knew you had to accept, and it would hurt anyway. Such was the life of a Jedi, Master Skywalker would say, wryly, and with such sadness in his heart that was covered in duty and well meaning anger.

And Ahsoka wanted to be a Jedi Knight more than anything.

“Of course, Master,” Ashoka said, bowing her head. “What would the Council ask of me?”

“Council, not asking. Me, alone, am asking,” Yoda said, his large ears drooping.

“You wish for me to do something outside of the perview of the Council?”

She couldn’t believe her lekku!

Yoda nodded. “Council would know, but recorded, this would not be,”

“But... but... Master?”

“Worry, we do, that the Senate does not have the Republics best interest, hmm,” Yoda explained. “Need you, for a mission, we do.”

Ahsoka didn’t like where this was going.

“What does the Council require of me?”

“Left, Anakin and Obi-Wan have. But, you, have bonds kept. Use this, we would ask you,”

Ahsoka felt the tips of her lekku twitch as she felt her heart sink. Was. Was Yoda honestly asking her to...

“Well, sure, if you want me to be the go between, I guess I understand  -”

“No.” Yoda’s cane clicked stopping her. “Communication, have our ways. Understanding motives, still unclear.”

Ahsoka cocked her head, trying to understand. If they didn’t need her to talk with her masters, but still wanted her to... dish on her masters. She understood immeadiately then, in dawning horror.

“You want me to spy on my Masters?” She demanded, incredulously. “But - I -”

“Dark times, these are,” Yoda’s ears twitched as he bowed and grumbled. “Trust, hard to find within us to give,”

“Anakin and Obi-Wan have the best of the republic at heart!”

“Knew this, we do not,” Yoda sighed. “Left, did they not? Forsake the Order, did they not?”

They had, but that didn’t mean they were untrustworthy. They had to make a hard choice, but none of their choices were good ones. Ahsoka should know, she’d made her ___ of impossible choices. And she’d had to respect that her Masters had felt strongly enough to leave. Together.

... Without her.

What was being asked of her... it went against everything she had been taught.

“I can’t do that, Master Yoda,” Ahsoka shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t!”

Yoda looked old then, even more ancient than usual, Ahsoka almost felt guilty, but she was too angry to allow it to effect her. That one of the Master’s had asked her to spy on someone... someone she knew and loved - it was unthinkable.

“Good day, Padawan Tano,”

He hobbled off and Ahsoka was left feeling like she needed to call her Masters’ and tell them what was happening. Which is what she went off to do. Already pulling up her comm to call and tell them.

She was undaunted by the continued ringing, and promised she’d call back tomorrow. And the next day until she got them to talk to her.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Obi-Wan and Anakin to be reinstated as security for the Chancellor. Palpatine’s security force was well aware of them and how they operated. On the other hand, their new security clearances had to be updated, and approved, and that would take at least an hour or two, so the two Je-Yudai found themselves having tea with Palpatine.

“I admit, Anakin, Obi-Wan,” Palpatine said, falling back on his less formal roots. “I am glad it is you two who will be at my side for this newest plot,”

“We are glad to be of any help we can,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin added, with a smile. “What else are friends for?”

Palpatine chuckled. He imagined what a ‘friend’ these two would consider him if he were to reveal himself right now. He could sense the implied weakness in the air. He could feel how that small meeting of two strong, opposing, forces had startled and drained them. He could feel it all.

And he loved every second of it.

“What else, indeed, my boy,” He patted his hand as he repeated that phrase. “What else, indeed,”


	20. Expect Me to be Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Anakin obligatory bed sharing scene.  
> Ahsoka tattles, but in her defense, Yoda was being the creep sooooo.  
> Meeting with the Council goes about as well as can be expected, as they ask Obi-Wan how his kidnapping went.  
> Padme and Anakin finally talk - but nothing gets actually discussed before Obi-Wan brings presents! (as I said before, they deserve nice things)  
> The plot (as always) thickens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I officially have one chapter left to write.  
> I don't know how to feel about that... Free? Terrified cause there are more stories to write in this series? A sense of completeness?  
> We just don't know, do we?  
> Also, strangely proud of myself for these chapters all being named after lyrics in that stupid song. I will never listen to that song again without thinking of this story.  
> Hope you all enjoy!

“I have a missed call from Ahsoka,” Anakin muttered, bothered.

“Oh,” Obi-Wan paused as he put in their security code. It was late. “Perhaps she was checking in?”

“Could be... I’ll call tomorrow.”

Anakin nodded and put the comm away after sending a brief blip to Padme to tell her they were fine, they got in, and he loved her. The husband of the husband-wife duo was feeling a little off kilter. Padme had left him with a smile and a kiss to the cheek, cheerful as could be considering they'd survived a senate meeting - but he couldn't forget how their morning had started. He considered getting on a speeder and going to spend the night, but he really was knackered.

The lights came up as they walked in, exhausted. As they walked to the bedroom both of them realized at the same moment that they only had one bedroom set up. The other wouldn’t be ready for a week because they honestly couldn’t be bothered. The place was huge, after all, it was hard to keep track. It hadn’t been a problem before, since Obi-Wan hadn’t been able to get to sleep and Anakin had gotten caught up with his new pet project.

Anakin had just assumed he would be spending more time with Padme, but now they were basically being drafted to active duty. Again. He wasn’t even upset about it, just tired and resigned.

The day was wearing on them. Both shared a single, acknowledging look before Obi-Wan jerked his head towards the bathroom.

“You want first shower?”

“Yes please,”

Obi-Wan smiled and started shedding his outerwear.

Watching Anakin go, Obi-Wan took a deep breath before settling in to do his nightly stretches. It was a calming ritual, one that Obi-Wan didn’t even have to think, to do. One stretch blurred into the next, onwards until he reached a particularly difficult move -

And he faltered.

It was sense memory, one strong and startling in it’s suddenness. He was crouched, one leg stretched forward, back arched as he leaned backwards into being parallel to the floor when it struck.

_Guide, they will call you, little Jedi..._

The voice washed over him, making him shiver. He startled so badly, he lost his footing and landed on his ass soundly. Hard enough for it to sting. Staring at the wall, Obi-Wan couldn’t breath as the voice seemed to breath in his ear.

_So lost.... so far away...._

Just as quick as the memory, the possession, the reminder of Serreno came - it was gone.

Obi-Wan sat on the floor, shivering at the cold.

“Fuck,” He breathed, with feeling.

His hands felt shaky, like he wouldn’t be able to hold a cup let alone stop them from their tremors. He felt faint, hard to breath, like a bantha was on his chest. Vision blurry. He sat and trembled for a few moments too long.

“Done!” Anakin called out, cheerfully, unaware.

Anakin allowed Obi-Wan to pass him without too much fuss, but when he felt the cold chill the man left in his wake, he paused. Pivoting his head, he watched the older man enter the fresher, and the door closed with a hiss.

_What was that about?_

Faintly bewildered, Anakin plopped onto the bed and allowed the water droplets in his hair to soak his collar. His Master was usually chipper, or at least calm, after a bout of meditation and stretching. This was not a calm or even Obi-Wan. Something had bothered him. Anakin reached out to the area around him, trying to feel for any kind of disturbance. He found precious little, seeing as the place was still pretty null - not having been lived in for a fair amount of time.

There was a chill, as he’d felt from Obi-Wan, but it was nothing pronounced, or even saturated.

Just a hint.

Antsy with unanswered questions, he left and found where the droids docked. There were at most ten. He ran a quick scan, looking for lack of efficiencies, nails drumming as he impatiently allowed the computer to putter.

The output stated that all were running at 80 percent efficiency - which was a travesty. That was slower than any other droid at the Temple (and not just because Anakin refused to allow their droids to reach that slow of a speed). It would take him longer than they had before they left to fix all of them, which was the perfect distraction. He gathered two of the mouse droids that had been docked and charging. One gave a squeal, while the other allowed it without complaint.

He reached the room as Obi-Wan turned on the shower.

Which gave him way too much time to think.

He tried to meditate as he worked, his fingers moving as he pried apart the droid and got lost in the feeling of solving a problem. There were so few parts to a droid that would cause efficiency deficiencies, it was childsplay to fix them. He had four done by the time Obi-Wan stepped out of the shower, much calmer, and a little lighter in the Force. Like he had shed something dark and unhappy under the water.

Obi-Wan was amused, too, as he watched Anakin finish with the fifth droid. In fact, he was more than amused as Anakin finished, raising his head with a dazed, almost blissed out look.

There was nothing quite like Anakin Skywalker after he had finished solving a problem.

“Bed?”

Anakin smiled, having already forgotten the cold spot in the room.

* * *

It was like any other day, any other time they had to spend close quarters together. They quickly tucked themselves into bed, positions dictated from habit and ritual than any other reason. Anakin got in first, on account of liking to be against the wall, before Obi-Wan got in directly after. Anakin didn’t mention the lack of evening meditation that usually followed stretching and shower, and just scooted farther over.

Both had a fair amount on their minds. It hardly felt like a week had past, more like a whole lifetime.

They were quiet for a moment, settling in, letting the warmth suffuse the situation. Obi-Wan stared at the wall, his mind briefly flashing to his captivity - the holocron staring in his mind's eye , that voice - he pushed it as far away, in the deepest part of his mind, forgetting it before speaking, anything to get his mind off of Serreno.

“Well today was a shit day.” He ended up saying.

Anakin snorted against his shoulder.

“Could have been worse. Remember Tirtus?”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “How could I forget my _favorite_ Bastilion?”

He felt more than saw Anakin’s absolute amusement in the Force.

“Favorite huh?”

“Oh shush,” Anakin snorted at Obi-Wan’s tone. “It _could_ be worse.”

“It could always be worse, that’s not reassuring.”

“Well consider this.” Obi-Wan said. “Least we made the right choice. I don’t think I’d like to be a Jedi right now.” Least of all a Master Jedi.

“We can agree on that. I’m almost tempted to try and convince Ahsoka to leave with us... but that would not be a sound idea.”

The pros and the cons were many - but ultimately it was for the young Padawan to decide. And she had decided to stay, they couldn’t begrudge her that. Anakin even had agreed it was smart, seeing as they were at such odds with what exactly they were going to do with their lives except end the war by any means necessary.

“Perhaps not.” Obi-Wan agreed.

“You ever think we should have left years ago?”

Anakin sure had. The elder of the pair stilled, before sighing.

“Go to sleep,” Obi-Wan shushed. “It’s going to be a long enough day without you keeping me up.”

It would be. And it was.

* * *

**[Skyguy!]**

“Hey Snips,” Anakin greeted with a sigh of relief, reaching for the meal bar on the counter. He was almost always ravenous in the mornings. “Sorry, I saw you called yesterday, but we were busy until late so this is me - “

**[Skyguy! Listen, Master. You need to hear this.]**

Her voice was serious and there was something about it that made Anakin shut up and listen. And nothing Ahsoka was saying was reassuring. Obi-Wan walked in, coming straight from his morning stretches and - well, Anakin wasn’t sure if he had meditated, but that was the routine.

“Wait a sec, Snips,” He waved Obi-Wan over. He put the comm on speaker. “Say that again.”

**[Yoda wanted me to spy on you two.]**

Like a splash of cold water down his back, Obi-wan realized this was what he was waiting for. The other shoe to drop. He put down the water he had been about to drink. “For what reason?”

**[He wasn’t very clear... except that you and Master Skywalker left the Order and we needed intel on what you both are going to do - and they thought I would be the best person for that because i’m your last tie to the Order and  -]**

“Breath, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan told her calmly.

He’s been prepared for this. Well, as much as he could. The Order had been his life, the Jedi his friend, and he would never betray them. Just because they no longer had the same title, nor the same outlook on the war - that didn’t take away from Obi-Wan and Anakin doing everything within their power to stop said war.

The Jedi should be thanking them! Without Jedi morals, the Je-yudai had a greater chance of success.

“What did you say?”

**[I told them I wouldn’t, of course!]**

“We know, Snips. Neither of us thought you would say yes,” Anakin soothed her. “Thank you for calling and letting us know... we’ll react accordingly.”

**[I couldn’t not tell you. Just... be safe, Skyguy,] She responded. [And let me know the next time you go off planet, okay?]**

“You got it snips, and that might be sooner rather than later.” He quickly explained the where they would be while Obi-Wan sat and contemplated.

The Council was making a move on them. Something that Obi-Wan hadn’t thought they would do for a while. Sure, he had to expect some kind of tracking, probably even a general alert on them, but this? This was a lot more than that. This was... this was a betrayal.

They were going too far.

As Anakin hung up, Obi-Wan rounded on him.

“This escalated far faster than I thought it would,”

“Are you honestly surprised?” Anakin asked. “I mean, the Council has always been the kind of people to have their ‘fingers in all the pies’. Didn’t you always say: If they don’t have all the information, they won’t be able to make decisions,”

“Well, yes. And I stand by it - “

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Pretty stupid if you ask me. Even with all the information we still don’t know everything.”

“It’s about making informed decisions,” Obi-Wan retorted as he stared out the window, stroking his beard, and trying to think of all the angles. Usually he had the whole council to throw ideas around with, but now it was him and Anakin against the world - it felt lonely and daunting. Freeing.

“They wouldn’t keep any communication that Mace sends them from us, would they?”

Anakin blinked. “Why would they?” Then he narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Do you know something? Why would they keep that kind of information from us? Did you ever keep that kind of information from me? We’re the ones who are going to be protecting the Chancellor!”

Obi-Wan realized he had inadvertently touched on something that Anakin was sensitive about. Their bond twinged uncomfortably as Anakin’s near panic and unease saturated it.

“I’ve never kept anything from you that I didn’t tell you about after the fact,” Obi-Wan promised. “The fact that the Council wanted me to lie to you, to try and sell my own death and your reaction to ... said event - that is one of the reasons we left. Remember?”

Anakin deflated. “Yes, I remember... I’m not an idiot,”

“I didn’t say you were,”

“I just needed to make sure we were on the same page.”

“We are!”

“Okay! Good!”

Both of them were flustered. It was a beat, and then both burst out laughing.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Anakin stated in between huffs, trying to get his breath back. “I can’t stop!”

Obi-Wan didn’t even try to say anything, just laughed.

They ended up on the floor. Anakin holding his stomach and Obi-Wan just leaned his head back.

“We really need to stop having moments like this,”

“I don’t know,” Anakin shrugged with a smile. “Seems like a better idea then sparring all the time. Less violent. I bet Padme will approve.”

“Well, if Padme approves,” Obi-Wan drawled. Causing both of them to giggle. Anakin drummed his fingers on the ground causing his partner to wait for the inevitable vomit of words. He felt... tight in the force.

“We should bring Ahsoka will us,” He said, finally. “Protection detail for the Chancellor is an ‘approved Padawan activity’,”

“I agree.”

This would be the first time they would be bringing her anywhere with the blessing of the Council.

“... how do we go about that?”

Obi-Wan sighed.

“I’ll go call the Council,”

* * *

Anakin sat patiently by as Obi-Wan became more and more aggravated.

“We’ll be there within the hour,” Obi-Wan snapped, turning off the holograph of the Council’s secrarial Padawan. Once the face disappeared, Anakin was treated to a rare fit of displeasure from Obi-Wan. He threw his remote at the far wall.

“Not good?” Anakin asked.

“We have to go see them in person,” Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “Imagine that. Apparently a request to take a Padawan off-world without a Jedi Master requires a full inquiry, no matter that we **are** her Masters.”

Anakin puffed up. It was always nice to see Obi-Wan passionate about his role in Ahsoka’s life. He held up his comm, though, hating to be the bearer of bad news.

“I’ve received confirmation from the Chancellor that we will be leaving in the next 12 hours,”

Not nearly enough time to jump through bureaucratic hoops, but Obi-Wan was going to give it his best.

“I’m calling Snips,” Anakin said, dialing her up. It took no time at all.

**[Skyguy?]**

“We’re leaving in twelve hours to Naboo,”

**[... I assume I am not allowed to come.]**

Anakin sighed.

“We sent a request to the Council, but we’re going to go see if we don’t have to go through the channels they want us to. Since we’re not Jedi any longer, after all.”

**[When will you be here? Can I at least see you guys before you leave?]**

Anakin softened. “Of course. We’ll meet you after we see the Council,”

**[Alright, Master!]**

* * *

“Hello Masters,” Obi-Wan greeted, his voice at odds with just how very pissed off he was at the Council. They’d made them wait an hour and fill out paperwork. All paperwork that was simply paper after paper that seemed to say the same things over and over.

“We understand you wish to take Padawan Tano off planet, an a mission to protect the Chancellor,” Depa  was the one standing for once, announcing the Councils’ wishes. “We are afraid we are going to have to decline this request,”

 **_:Well that was fast,:_ ** Anakin grumbled, incised. **_:We’ve barely said two words each.:_ **

“And is there a reason for such a decision?”

“Our... spy had informed as that there will be an attempt on the Chancellor’s life by no less than five of the galaxies best assassins.”

Obi-Wan and Anakin both felt the shock freeze them.

“Pardon me?” Obi-Wan demanded. While Anakin exploded. “ **_Five_ ** assassins?”

There was unheard of. Two working together was rare, and three had never been successful - or so it was thought. Any more than four and they were getting into territory better written in fantasy novels. It was something so bold and brash to even suggest.

Suddenly, Anakin didn’t want Ahsoka to go.

Obi-Wan agreed with extreme prejudice in the span of a second. Their padawan would be sad to be seperated from them further, but she would stay alive. That was all that mattered. Taking on five assassins would be hard, but hopefully if it was just Obi-Wan and Anakin, they could deal with it without any casualties.

“Understood. We’ll abide by the Councils decision in this.” They said at once, together, in sync, before Obi-Wan asked, “Do you have any more correspondence from your... man?”

Perhaps the Council was expecting them to argue, because they uneasily shared glances around the room. The Team, ignored that in favor of watching Depa for her answer.

“We’ve only received three messages,” She finally conceded, waving for the droid in the corner. “Ex-Three-Tee-Five will provide them to you. And if we received any more, we will make sure they find you on Naboo,”

Anakin took the proffered datastick from the droid while Obi-Wan refused to take that as an answer.

“I think not. We need a direct line established.”

When the Council stiffened, he just straightened.

“Now.”

Seasee Tin rose to his feet. “You do not demand anything from this Council, Master Kenobi!”

It was a petty action and Obi-Wan was uninspired. Anakin only barely restrained himself from responding back in kind. Obi-Wan stopping him with a barely there brush against his shields. **_:Calm. I’ve got this.:_ **

“I think I will if it will clearly endanger the person I am set to protect,” Obi-Wan retorted, then asked redundantly. “What’s the worst that could happen if we do not receive Mace’s information in a timely manner?”

The Council glowered as the fake-dead-Jedi’s name was spoken. But they were silent.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. The death of the Chancellor.” Anakin pipped in. “Something we are sure nobody in the Republic wants.”

“Have your link, you will. Set one, will we,”

Everyone looked to Yoda. The Ex-Jedi in the room watching as everyone agreed. The chatter of who would be in charge of it.

“One more question, we have, Kenobi. Skywalker.” Eeth said, before adding. “We were not given the time to ask before, but we were curious if Dooku shared anything during your stay with him?”

As if he had just been invited for tea. Obi-Wan debated keeping the information to himself, versus telling them nothing. The way they were acting was deplorable, but he was once a Jedi - and those were hard roots to shake. Still he didn’t have to tell all.

“He noticed that I wasn’t a Jedi any longer and attempted to try and recruit me,” Obi-Wan said dryly. “He was unsuccessful. As you can see. And for reasons that are still a mystery to me, he released me into Anakin’s rescue.”

Nobody looked convinced.

“Anything particular he tried?”

Which was a polite way to ask if he was tortured. Obi-Wan didn’t see anything wrong with admitting this next piece.

“He had a Sith Holocron.”

There was a sharp sense of alarm through the group which made Anakin leaned ever so slightly closer, offering his silent support. Obi-Wan was thankful for it.

“And?”

Obi-Wan just raised a brow. “And that is all.”

The silence that filled the room then was very loud. Separatory. A clear line in the sand. It wasn’t that there wasn’t more, it was that Obi-Wan wasn’t about to say anything else.

Then they were dismissed.

 **:Perfunctory as always,** : Obi-Wan shared as they left the room.

**:And just as brainless.:**

Obi-Wan snorted, but didn’t add fire to the flame. He was imagining what must be going on in that room behind them. Knowing that Dooku had a Sith Holocron was one thing, knowing that he was using it to try and steal away Jedi inclined people... that was enough information for anyone.

“Let’s go inform, Ahsoka,”

Ahsoka, much to neither of their surprise, was unhappy with this arrangement. In fact, one could say she was irate.

“Come on! I’m your Padawan, can’t I just... sneak onto your ship?”

Anakin shook his head, being firm this time.

“Not this time, Snips,”

She huffed, arms crossed, but looked at Anakin, felt his seriousness in their bond.

“Can you tell me why not?”

Obi-Wan took that one.

“The mission has changed. It’s become more dangerous.”

She was to well trained to roll her eyes, but they both could feel her anger.

“Dangerous, how?”

“Five assassins going after the Chancellor, kind of dangerous.”

Ahsoka’s eyes grew wide and lekku twitched. “You’ve got to take me! I’ll watch your back! Please Master!”

Anakin was firm, shook his head before he even answered.

“Not this time. For once, the Council and I agree.”

A damn miracle, really, but one all the same. And Ahsoka knew it too, which is why she stopped fighting it. She considered, briefly, hiding on the ship, but she didn’t think she could get away with escaping the temple twice in a month and go unpunished.

Was it really worth six months of droid wrangling duty?

She decided no.

“... Can we go get some noodles?”

Obi-Wan chuckled while Anakin threw an arm around her shoulder. “Of course!”

* * *

 ** _[Do you want to meet while we are there?]_ ** Padme asked as Anakin waited for the Chancellor to get back to them. They were in a private room, Obi-Wan having wanted to run some errands and hoping that apart they wouldn’t be mobbed, which gave Anakin just enough time to call and chat with Padme. The first half of their conversation had been stilted, awkward, and borderline hostile. Padme was nice enough, and Anakin tried to pretend like everything was normal.

The whole photo seemed to sit between them, a lump of unhappy knowledge.

“Perhaps after the attempt?”

**_[The attempt? Well you’re being purposefully vague, huh?]_ **

Anakin smiled. “I would say if I could, I promise. We’re just not on an encrypted line - ”

 **_[And they are always listening,]_ ** Padme finished for him. **_[I understand. You will let me know?]_ **

Obi-Wan entered the room then, a small parcel with him as Anakin promised her he would..

“Obi-Wan is back,”

He had said it just as a mention that the man was in the room, but Padme took it as a dismissal. 

**_[Be safe, Anakin,]_ **

“I didn't mean - Oh. You know we always are,” She hung up then and Anakin watched Padme’s face flicker, before turning to Obi-Wan. He was bothered, of course he was, but he was good at compartmentalizing. There was nothing they could do for the next week.

“So what are this errand you had to do by yourself?”

Obi-Wan look amused as he unwrapped his ‘present’. Anakin laughed out loud, in shocked amusement.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“If you think it’s a couple of holsters to hide under the fancy new clothing Padme provided for us - you are completely correct.”

And he was.

The holsters were made out of honest to god leather, supported with thin bands of flexible metal. They would comfortably fit a lightsaber or a blaster, and it was smooth enough to lie flat, without giving any bulk because of the flared width. In fact, it almost looked as if it would look like skin under a skintight uniform. Anakin ran his fingers over the expertly crafted design.

“When did you have time to get these?”

“I actually had them commissioned a year ago,” Obi-Wan said. “When we were clearly going to be going into more and more dangerous situations, where we would not be allowed our primary weapons.”

Anakin fingered the soft leather and smoothed it into his side. It fit like a puzzle piece.

“Surely we’ll be scanned?”

Obi-Wan smiled here, a particularly predatory and oblique kind of thing. “When was the last time we were scanned after giving up our lightsabers?”

Anakin opened his mouth to response, but then shut it. Honestly... years. The media had been portraying them as demons with their lightsabers, but without they were always polite and docile. Even to the point of capture. The war had done little to change that, especially after Obi-Wan's capture and release.

“That won’t last forever.”

“Of course now,” Obi-Wan picked up the darker of the two. “They are actually insulated. They will pick up our body temperature, and won’t show up on any scanner, unless it is calibrated to pick up Synerguture.”

Anakin gripped his holster even tighter. His voice a squeak. “ _Synerguture_?”

He was never letting this off his body. Synerguture was not particularly expensive, but that was because only the Jedi had access and knew how to smelt it down and use it. And it was very rare. And it was very well guarded. And Obi-Wan having it was about to become Anakin’s second most well guarded secret.

“How’d you swing that?”

“Another time,” He stated, as a droid came in interrupting them.  

“Chancellor Palpatine will see you now.”

* * *

They left five hours later. Met the Chancellor at his personal pad, and joined his security team. Ahsoka had to watch from the temple, but she would know that craft anywhere when it took off to the sky. She sat on the rampart of the temple, watching, feeling her Masters’ signature getting farther and farther away.

 **_:Be okay, Skyguy,:_ ** She whispered to the Force, hoping it would be fine.

At least he had Obi-Wan.

* * *

“Master,” Dooku greeted, bowed at the waist. “You called?”

It wasn’t often that Dooku missed a call from his Master, but this was one of them. He had been watching what had been happening inside the Box, watched and judging, and had ignored a summons from his Master. Now he was calling back within the specified hours Palpatine allowed.

“Are they ready?” His Master demanded.

Dooku bowed. “Of course,”

“The winner?”

Dooku grinned.

“The Jedi did remarkably well, and he managed to save the asses of nearly half of them. You’ll have quite the brigade coming after you, Chancellor.”

“Good. Good.” The dark figure nodded. “When can I expect the attack?”

“As discussed, of course, after the evening is through.”

“And has the Jedi been getting his messages through?”

Dooku huffed.

“Every other, as you have requested, Master. Though none of the group knows the exact strike time.”

Sidious smiled from under his hood.

“Excellent.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, since we're so close to the finish, imma let you guys in on the last few chapter titles ;D  
> Chapter 21: Oh no, not I  
> Chapter 22: Did you think we’d lay down and die?  
> Chapter 23: We will survive


End file.
